An interventional study of Discrete Trial Training and Interpersonal Developmental Approach in Autism, sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles. Completed at 3 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 33 Months to 54 Months, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-06-14.
Sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this project is to compare the efficacy of two interventions for improving spoken language and reducing symptoms of autism.
While significant progress has been made toward identifying effective interventions for preschool-age children with autism (National Research Council, 2001), few scientifically rigorous studies have compared active ingredients of these interventions or examined outcomes focused on core deficits. To address these areas of need, this collaborative, multi-site project combines the expertise of investigators experienced in randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs), in the study of core deficits in young children with autism, and in data management and analysis of multi-site clinical trials.
The goal of this project is to compare the efficacy of two interventions for improving spoken language and reducing symptoms of autism: (1) Discrete trial training (DTT)--an applied behavior analysis approach emphasizing highly structured teaching of school readiness skills (match-to-sample, imitation, functional play, and receptive and expressive language) and (2) Interpersonal developmental approach (IDA): a visually supported, child-focused, flexible engagement, social communicative engagement approach on joint attention, symbolic play, and the use of conventional symbols within socially valid communicative contexts.
Children will be randomly assigned to DTT or IDA. In each condition, children's ongoing early intervention programs will be augmented with two 30-minute sessions daily of the study intervention (DTT or IDA) conducted by supervised therapists for 4 months, with transition to home therapy for 2 months.
Potential moderators (e.g., initial mental age and language age) and mediators (e.g. parent synchronization of joint attention and changes in parental expectancies) on treatment outcome will also be examined.
The assessment measures will include diagnostic and developmental measures. There are three sets of assessments. The first set of assessments is to determine whether the child is eligible for the study. If the child is eligible, we will complete the next set of assessments, which are completed at three points: (1) prior to entry into the treatment (this is a baseline measurement conducted just before the start of the treatment phase); (2) at exit; and (3) at a 6 month follow-up. Several assessments will also be completed after 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months.
1,344 studies on the registry are indexed under Autistic Disorder; 334 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 192 is above the median of 45 across 1,044 interventional studies indexed under Autistic Disorder.
Browse Autistic Disorder studies →University of California, Los Angeles is the lead sponsor of 1,142 studies on the registry; 192 are open to participants now.
Of its 91 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 66 (73%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Cognitive and language requirements (at least two of the following three criteria must be met:
Exclusion criteria:
Targets nonverbal imitation, match-to-sample, verbal imitation, imitation of play activities, receptive language, and expressive language. 5 hours per week of individual instruction for 4 months (Two 30-minute sessions per day, five days per week) with reductions in classroom pull out sessions in months 5 and 6 with implementation of 1 hour per week of in-home parent training for the last 2 months.
Behavioral: Discrete Trial Training
Targets Joint Attention and Symbolic Play. 5 hours per week of individual instruction for 4 months (Two 30-minute sessions per day, five days per week) with reductions in classroom pull out sessions in months 5 and 6 with implementation of 1 hour per week of in-home parent training for the last 2 months.
Behavioral: Interpersonal Developmental Approach
UCLA model, developed by Lovaas and colleagues (Smith, Groen \& Wynn, 2000). Two 30-minute sessions daily (5 hours/week) of 1:1 intervention focusing on imitation, match-to-sample, receptive and expressive language. Using operant conditioning, the therapist works individually with a child in a distraction-free setting and administers approximately 10 trials in a sitting, with breaks between sittings. During months 5 and 6, we will provide parents with training in an apprenticeship format one day per week for an hour per day. The clinician will demonstrate a DTT instructional program, then the parent will take a turn implementing it. The clinician and parent will give each other feedback on their implementation of the program.
Also known as: DTT
Focus on teaching joint attention and symbolic play developmentally via floor play milieu teaching approach. Principles applied include following the child's lead and interest in activities, talking about what the child is doing, repeating back what the child says, expanding on what child says, giving corrective feedback, sitting close to the child and making eye-contact, and making environmental adjustments to engage the child (Kasari et al., 2006). Parents will be incorporated into the treatment to encourage joint engagement with their child and to focus specifically on joint attention and play skills in their interactions. Each home session will last one hour (once a week) during month 5 and 6 and will involve therapist modeling, and coaching of parent in child-directed activities.
Also known as: IDA
Reynell Developmental Language Scale
Time frame: Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6 months later
McArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (Word and Gestures Inventory and/or Words and Sentences Inventory)
Time frame: Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow up
Caregiver-child Interaction
Time frame: Pre-treatment, three times during active intervention, post-treatment, and 6-month follow up
Early Social Communication Scale
Time frame: Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow up
Structured Play Assessment
Time frame: Pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow up
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of California, Los Angeles