Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41934559›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Using Artificial Intelligence to Support Emotionally Responsive Verbal Communication Among Autistic Workers in a Work Internship Setting.

Lynn K Koegel, Paul Wehman, Christopher M Claude, Monica S Lam, Tommy Bruzzese, Melanie Derry, Alissa Brooke, Whitney Ham, Elizabeth Ponder, Trylanda J Roane and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Lynn K KoegelDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Paul WehmanRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
Christopher M ClaudeRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA. claudec@vcu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5799-215X
Monica S LamDepartment of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Tommy BruzzeseDepartment of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Melanie DerryRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
Alissa BrookeRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
Whitney HamRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
Elizabeth PonderDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Trylanda J RoaneRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
Benjamin RooneyRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.
John AndersonRehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, Richmond, VA, USA.

Funding

Kind World Foundation Kind World FoundationPackard Auxilary Fund Packard Auxilary FundStanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford University Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Stanford UniversityVerdant Foundation Verdant Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSome autistic adults experience barriers to employment related to differences in social communication, including responding to others’ emotional cues in workplace interactions. This study extends prior randomized controlled evaluations of Noora by examining feasibility and individual-level change when the intervention is implemented with autistic young adults enrolled in an intensive vocational internship program, using a multiple baseline single-case design with repeated measurement to examine changes in relation to intervention onset within a real-world employment context.

methodsUsing a concurrent multiple baseline design across three participants, we evaluated the effects of Noora, an AI-based conversational training tool. Participants completed regular training sessions focused on practicing emotionally responsive verbal communication with real-time AI-generated feedback. The primary dependent variable was performance on standardized, human-delivered conversation probes designed to elicit emotionally responsive communication in workplace-relevant scenarios across baseline, intervention, and retention phases.

resultsAll participants demonstrated immediate improvements in emotionally responsive verbal communication after starting the Noora program. Gains were observed within Noora training sessions and during generalization and retention conversation probes. These effects were supported by visual analysis and strong effect sizes, indicating a functional relationship between the program and improved emotionally responsive verbal communication.

conclusionFindings suggest that Noora is a feasible and scalable intervention for supporting emotionally responsive communication in autistic young adults within vocational training contexts.

Indexed as

Artificial intelligenceAutismSocial communicationVocational rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41934559

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.