Improving Attention Skills of Children With Autism

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1/PHASE2

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2001-09-30

Study Completion Date

2006-01-31

Brief Summary

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Toddlers with autism have poor joint attention skills. Joint attention skills include pointing to objects, following another person's gaze, and responding to invitations to join in a social interaction. Improved joint attention skills may lead to better verbal ability as the child ages. This study teaches caregivers how to help their toddlers with autism develop joint attention skills.

Detailed Description

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Young children with autism show impairment in joint attention. The impairment affects their ability to sustain a shared interest in social interaction and to use specific joint attention skills, such as pointing and showing. The importance of joint attention is underscored by data suggesting these skills are important to later language skills. Targeting joint attention deficits in developmentally young children using familiar caregivers may result in better child language outcomes. This study will teach caregivers how to initiate and maintain episodes of joint engagement with their children.

Participants will be randomized to either the intervention group or to a wait list control group. Each caregiver and child in the intervention group will participate in 24 1-hour sessions, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. In these sessions, caregivers will be taught 10 different modules for teaching joint attention skills to their children. Outcome measures will include language and joint attention skills in the child and caregiver adherence to the intervention protocols. Children and caregivers will be assessed at baseline, during the course of the 8-week intervention, and 10 weeks after the end of the intervention. Participants assigned to the wait list group will begin the intervention at Week 12.

Conditions

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Autism

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Interventions

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Caregiver joint attention intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of autism based on Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) criteria

Exclusion Criteria

* Seizures
* Medical or psychiatric diagnoses other than autism that potentially contribute to developmental delay (e.g., genetic syndromes)

Minimum Eligible Age

12 Months

Maximum Eligible Age

36 Months

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Principal Investigators

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Connie Kasari, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Los Angelos

Locations

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University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Kasari C, Gulsrud AC, Wong C, Kwon S, Locke J. Randomized controlled caregiver mediated joint engagement intervention for toddlers with autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Sep;40(9):1045-56. doi: 10.1007/s10803-010-0955-5.

Reference Type DERIVED

PMID: 20145986 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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R21MH064927

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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