Clinical trial NCT06278168: Awareness Training in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Official title: Raising Awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: Promoting Understanding and Support
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Keywords: autism
children
ASD
awareness
Lead sponsor: Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Messina, Italy
First posted: 2024-02-26
Enrollment: 40
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 8
Maximum age (years): 14
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The proposed protocol aims to facilitate awareness and understanding of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 to 14 with an IQ between 85 and 115. Conducted once a week for 60 minutes, the protocol encompasses two initial group sessions followed by 5 group meetings, introducing activities to foster self-awareness, cognitive understanding, and an inclusive environment. Subsequently, the protocol advances to 12 individual sessions focused on emotional well-being and self-awareness, integrating Oculus technology and chest sensors for heart rate monitoring. Initiating the intervention, individual family meetings are scheduled to outline intervention goals and phases. The initial group sessions focus on social bonding, cognitive understanding, and creating an accepting atmosphere among participants. Utilizing activities addressing neurodiversity awareness and technological tools like tablets, the sessions encourage discussions on individual differences and sensitivities. The subsequent individual sessions are structured to explore personal values, identify inner critical voices, and develop emotional awareness through exercises exploring emotions and physical sensations. Progressively, the intervention introduces mindfulness, guiding participants to acknowledge emotions as normal and encouraging alignment of daily actions with personal values. Following this, sessions center on building observational skills, recognizing past behaviors, and fostering strengths tied to values. Participants are encouraged to distinguish between their critical "consultant" and the value-driven "explorer," fostering personal growth and reflection. The protocol's later stages delve into identifying personal strengths linked to core values and exploring value-driven goals. Visual exercises, metaphors, and flexible self-views are emphasized, promoting adaptability and self-evolution. The protocol concludes by advocating a flexible self-view, embracing change, and connecting oneself to ever-evolving metaphors like "a cup with changing contents" or "the ever-changing sky." These sessions culminate with visual relaxation facilitated through Oculus technology while simultaneously monitoring participants' heart rates using chest sensors. This comprehensive approach integrates technological tools with emotional and cognitive exercises, providing a multifaceted framework to enhance self-awareness and promote acceptance within the context of neurodiversity.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 85\<IQ\<115

Exclusion Criteria:

* presence of other medical disorders

Primary outcomes:
measure: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth edition (WISC-IV)
timeFrame: The test needs approximately 65-80 minutes to complete.
measure: Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children-Second Edition (MASC 2)
timeFrame: The test needs approximately 15 minutes
measure: Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)
timeFrame: The estimated time for administration of this sub-test is about 10-15 minutes.
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Messina
country: Italy
facility: Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB) - National Research Council (CNR)
Study officials:
affiliation: Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB) - National Research Council (CNR)
name: Flavia Marino
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: de Bruin EI, Blom R, Smit FM, van Steensel FJ, Bogels SM. MYmind: Mindfulness training for Youngsters with autism spectrum disorders and their parents. Autism. 2015 Nov;19(8):906-14. doi: 10.1177/1362361314553279. Epub 2014 Oct 27.
citation: Louise L.Hayes, Joseph Ciarrochi (2015). Adolescenti in crescita. L'ACT per aiutare i giovani a gestire le emozioni, raggiungere obiettivi, costruire relazioni sociali. Franco Angeli