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Effectiveness- Implementation Trial of the Function-Based Elopement Treatment

Who can join

Ages 4 to 12 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

Child participant:

* Boys and girls ages \> 4 to \< 12 years
* Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis by history
* Presence of elopement as an important caregiver concern - elopement occurring regularly for at least 3 months.
* At least one primary caregiver can speak and understand English.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English speaking participants

About the study

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether the Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET) can reduce elopement in children aged 4-12 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to assess its feasibility in community-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinics. Researchers will evaluate FBET in a single-arm open-label trial in one clinic, followed by a comparison of FBET to treatment as usual (TAU) across at least six ABA clinics to evaluate effectiveness and implementation.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Is it feasible to use FBET in community-based ABA clinics? * Does FBET reduce elopement? * Does FBET lead to greater clinical improvement?

Participants will:

* Receive 12 sessions of FBET over 20 weeks with trained BCBAs or receive treatment as usual * Complete caregiver assessments at baseline and endpoint * Engage in caregiver training and practice treatment between appointments

What is being tested

• Function-Based Elopement Treatment (behavioral)
• Treatment as Usual (behavioral)

Sponsor: Emory University · Participants: 50 · Started: Mar 30, 2026

Contact the study team

• Mindy Scheithauer, PhD · Phone: 404-785-9322

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07194083

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.