New Randomized Trial Evaluates Virtual Mentoring Program for Autistic Youth

Hudock, R. L., Gunlicks-Stoessel, M., Zhang, J., Zhou, H., Congreve, A., Williams, S., Petricek, C., Goldberg, E., Austin, J. D., Hokland, A. J., Khan, L., & Weiler, L. M. (2026). A pilot randomized controlled trial of the Autism Mentorship Program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07272-w

Introduction

Autistic adolescents face a developmental period marked by increasing mental health risk, including anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Estimates cited in the study indicate that 77.7% of autistic youth have at least one co-occurring mental health condition, compared with 14.1% of non-autistic youth (Kerns et al., 2021). Traditional services are often difficult to access, prompting interest in alternative community-based supports.

Mentoring programs have shown promise for youth development generally, yet research focused on autistic adolescents remains limited. Hudock and colleagues (2026) conducted the first randomized controlled trial of the Autism Mentorship Program (AMP), which pairs autistic adolescents with autistic adult mentors in a structured virtual mentoring model. The study examined program acceptability and preliminary mental health outcomes.

Methods

Participants included 24 autistic adolescents ages 14–18, their caregivers, and 12 autistic adult mentors. Adolescents were randomized to either AMP (n=13) or services-as-usual (n=11). The intervention consisted of 23 weekly online mentoring sessions lasting about 60 minutes. Sessions included a brief group discussion on social-emotional topics followed by one-to-one mentor–mentee meetings. Pre- and post-program assessments measured outcomes such as self-esteem, depression, anxiety, loneliness, and perceived social support using validated scales including the Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

Results

Participants reported high satisfaction with the mentoring program. Youth in the AMP group showed improvements in several psychosocial measures relative to the comparison group, including self-esteem, satisfaction with self, perceived support from others, and engagement. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate. Youth also showed trends toward lower anxiety and depression scores after participation. Qualitative responses indicated that mentees valued emotional support and guidance from mentors who shared lived experience. Mentors reported gains in confidence and communication skills.

Discussion

The findings indicate that an identity-based mentoring model linking autistic adults and adolescents is feasible and acceptable. Shared lived experience appeared to support relationship formation and may offer adolescents role models navigating education, employment, and adulthood. The authors note that small sample size limits statistical power and that participants were primarily White and from a single metropolitan area.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

The study suggests that mentoring relationships grounded in shared identity may support well-being among autistic adolescents. Programs that recruit autistic adults as mentors may foster belonging, strengthen social confidence, and provide accessible mental health support in community settings. Larger trials are needed before broad implementation.

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