Clinical trial NCT05359757: Naturalistic Teaching Strategies in Children With Autism
Official title: Effect of Naturalistic Teaching Strategies in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder
Lead sponsor: Riphah International University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-05-04
Enrollment: 19
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 8
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The study will show the effect of naturalistic teaching strategies and picture exchange communication systems in children with an autism spectrum disorder. There will be two groups in this study. One control group and the other experimental group.

One group will be provided with the naturalistic teaching strategies and pecs therapy both and the other group will be provided with the PECS therapy. The research will be conducted within the duration of six months after the approval from BASR.

The two groups will be first assessed using the portage early education program and pecs manual. After 20 sessions of respective therapeutic techniques, both of the groups will be reassessed. The results of both of the groups will be then compared and conclusions will be drawn.

Detailed description: The Naturalistic Teaching approach is both adaptive and reactive to the needs of the kids with autism. Its methods are designed to be incorporated into the routines of children with an autism spectrum disorder. The naturalistic methods are intended to mimic the natural instructions a child receives in a variety of contexts.

PictureExchange Communication System (PECS) is a unique communication training program that was developed as a means of evading some shortcomings associated with these strategies. Many individuals with autism are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, either to supplement (i.e., augment) their existing speech or to act as their primary (i.e., alternative) method of expressive communication. Presently, aided, picture-based AAC systems are used more frequently and successfully with individuals with ASD. PECS consists of six phases and begins by teaching an individual to give a single picture of a desired item or action to a "communicative partner" who immediately honors the exchange as a request.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Children who will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and with speech and language impairments and will fall in the chronological age of language development (3-8) years
* Both genders
* Children who will have a vocabulary of 0-10 meaningful words
* Children with mild and moderate autism

Exclusion Criteria:

Children already taking speech therapy sessions

* Children with severe to a profound level.
* Children with any other disorder along with autism

Primary outcomes:
measure: Portage Early Education Program for Naturalistic Teaching Strategies for children with autism spectrum disorder.
timeFrame: 30 Sessions (2 Months)
measure: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), an AAC system designed to minimize difficulties with communication skills experienced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
timeFrame: 30 Sessions ( 2 Months)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lahore
country: Pakistan
facility: Riphah International University
state: Punjab
Study officials:
affiliation: Riphah International University
name: Nameeka Shahid, PhD*
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Thiemann-Bourque K, Brady N, McGuff S, Stump K, Naylor A. Picture Exchange Communication System and Pals: A Peer-Mediated Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention for Minimally Verbal Preschoolers With Autism. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2016 Oct 1;59(5):1133-1145. doi: 10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0313.
citation: Lord C, Brugha TS, Charman T, Cusack J, Dumas G, Frazier T, Jones EJH, Jones RM, Pickles A, State MW, Taylor JL, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020 Jan 16;6(1):5. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4.
citation: Ganz JB, Simpson RL. Effects on communicative requesting and speech development of the Picture Exchange Communication System in children with characteristics of autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2004 Aug;34(4):395-409. doi: 10.1023/b:jadd.0000037416.59095.d7.
citation: Mukherjee SB. Autism Spectrum Disorders - Diagnosis and Management. Indian J Pediatr. 2017 Apr;84(4):307-314. doi: 10.1007/s12098-016-2272-2. Epub 2017 Jan 19.