A Phase 1 interventional study of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up and Developmental Education for Families in Behavior Problems, sponsored by University of Delaware. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 3 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2016-12-20.
Sponsored by University of Delaware · Phase 1, Interventional, and Prevention
Toddlers (2- to 3-year-old children) in foster care often have difficulty regulating behavior and biology, and are at risk for a host of mental health problems. Critical issues for toddlers straddle the challenges of infancy and preschool years. In particular, toddlers in foster care face significant challenges in forming new attachment relationships and developing behavioral and biological regulatory capabilities. This project will assess the effectiveness of an intervention that targets these issues. Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers in Foster Care (ABC-T) was developed to help parents: provide nurturing care so that children develop secure, trusting relationships; and supporting children when they become overwhelmed that enhance children's ability to regulate behavior and biology. This intervention's effectiveness will be assessed in a randomized clinical trial.
This study assesses the efficacy of a 10-session intervention for young children in the foster care system. Children are randomly assigned to the experimental condition (ABC-T) or to a treatment control (DEF). In the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers (ABC-T) condition, children's foster parents receive an intervention that focuses on nurturance, following children's lead, and helping children settle when they become overwhelmed. In the Developmental Education for Families (DEF) intervention, children's foster parents receive an intervention that focuses on enhancing children's cognitive and motor skills. Both of the interventions are provided in families' homes for 10 sessions of about 60 minutes duration. Outcomes include attachment (assessed in the Preschool Strange Situation), cortisol production (assessed diurnally), child behavior problems (assessed through laboratory procedures that stress children), and through psychiatric interviews.
517 studies on the registry are indexed under Problem Behavior; 92 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 220 is above the median of 90 across 391 interventional studies indexed under Problem Behavior.
Browse Problem Behavior studies →University of Delaware is the lead sponsor of 125 studies on the registry; 23 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up: 10 session intervention in foster families' homes designed to enhance parental nurturance, synchrony, and provide skills such that parents can help children calm down when overwhelmed.
Behavioral: Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up
10 session intervention in foster families' homes that targets cognitive and motor skills of children
Behavioral: Developmental Education for Families
Enhances nurturance, following the lead, and calming behaviors
Also known as: ABC, ABC-T, Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Foster Toddlers
Attention control: Enhances parents understanding of developmental milestones
Also known as: DEF, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy
Problem behaviors
Assessed through laboratory measures of child behavior problems. (Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule)
Time frame: Annual
Attachment
Assessed through Preschool Strange Situation
Time frame: Once at post-intervention
Cortisol production
Diurnal cortisol assessed through saliva sampling at wake-up and bedtime
Time frame: Annual
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2016. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Delaware