Optimizing Social and Communication Outcomes for Toddlers With Autism
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This project will examine the efficacy of two different treatment approaches aimed at
      facilitating change in social and communications outcomes of toddlers with autism.
    

Detailed description: 
      The proposed research tests a theoretically and empirically derived treatment approach aimed
      at facilitating change in joint attention interactions between caregivers and their toddlers
      with autism. Young children with autism show impairments in engaging in joint attention
      skills such as pointing and showing. The importance of joint attention is underscored by data
      showing that these skills are important to later development of language. Yet these
      interaction and skills deficits have rarely been the focus of systematic intervention
      efforts, particularly with caregivers. Moreover, current interventions for young children
      wiht autism are behavioral in approach, therapist driven, and often exclude the lowest
      functioning and developmentally youngest children. Thus, targeting these deficits in
      developmentally young children using familiar caregivers may result in better language
      outcomes for these children.

      The overarching goal of the proposed project is to rigorously test an intervention program
      for caregivers and their toddlers with autism that is developmentally informed,
      child-centered and focused on joint attention intervention with their toddlers versus mothers
      who receive parent education about autism and child development.

      The Primary aims of this research are as follows:

        -  Aim 1: To determine if caregiver mediated intervention on joint engagement is superior
           to caregiver education on social communication and language outcomes in children.

        -  Aim 2: To determine if skill development in the context of caregiver child interaction
           transfers to interactions with classroom teachers and peers.

        -  Aim 3: To examine characteristics of families and children that best predict
           social-communication outcome.
    

Intervention name(s): Caregiver-Mediated Intervention; Caregiver-Education Intervention
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 1 (two- 1/2 jour sessions weekly) hour of intervention per week for 10 weeks in which parents and their child meet with the interventionist together using the caregiver as a means to facilitate change in their child's development; The caregiver meets 1 time (1 hour each session) a week for 10 weeks with an interventionist - caregiver will receive information on child development and have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the information vis-a-vis their own child
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Care Provider)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Autism; Social and Communication Deficits in Autism; Parent and Caregiver interventions with children with Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder; ASD