Structured Function-Based Elopement Treatment Program

NCT ID: NCT03899831

Last Updated: 2023-08-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 76 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-05-09
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-04

Brief Summary

This study aims to extend the researchers' prior work on Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET) with a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of FBET in 76 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and elopement. Participants will be randomized to FBET or an active control group receiving a parent education program (PEP). Each study arm will include 12 appointments over 16 weeks and will be administered by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Detailed Description

Elopement (running/wandering away from supervision) affects nearly 50% of children with ASD and is a contributor to the fact that children with ASD have nearly double the premature death rate of their typically developing peers. Existing interventions, such as prevention kits, increase safety by decreasing elopement opportunities (e.g., locking doors), but do not necessarily decrease attempts. Given that a single successful attempt can be fatal, the fact that prevention-only strategies cannot eliminate elopement means that other treatment approaches are necessary. Interventions based in applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been successful in reducing elopement attempts. ABA relies on function-based treatments, which start with assessment to identify why an individual elopes (i.e., its function). Common functions of elopement include accessing attention (e.g., parent's reaction), preferred items (e.g., toys), or escape from nonpreferred situations (e.g., leaving a store). Function is crucial, as common strategies may be contraindicated based on function. For example, a caregiver may pick up a child and discuss safety after elopement. Unfortunately, this may reinforce elopement, and make it worse, if the function for that child is to gain attention. Key elements of function-based treatments include preventing delivery of the functional reinforcer following elopement (i.e., extinction) and teaching an appropriate means of accessing it instead.

While there is support in the literature for function-based treatments, it has relied on small sample sizes. In the largest elopement treatment study to date, the researchers demonstrated significant improvements based on clinical outcomes. However, even this study was relatively small (N=11) and lacked a control group. The bulk of research supporting these interventions has also been conducted in specialized treatment centers by doctoral level professionals. This is in contrast to the majority of ABA services delivered by Master level Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) operating in community settings. Thus, even if ABA-based interventions are efficacious, their generality and community viability remain unknown. Finally, research has evaluated either prevention strategies or function-based interventions, while studies combining these are strikingly absent.

A randomized controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of a structured, exportable intervention for elopement with prevention strategies and function-based interventions has not been conducted, but is critical for several reasons. First, rigorous studies with a control group and sufficient sample size are needed for function-based treatments to be widely accepted as empirically supported. Second, evaluation of a manualized intervention combining these approaches implemented in a community context will demonstrate the viability outside of specialized clinics. A manualized treatment can serve as a much needed resource for community providers faced with treating elopement. The researchers have developed a manualized, parent-mediated intervention called Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET). In a pilot feasibility study the researchers evaluated FBET with 24 children with ASD (age 4 to 12), who were randomly assigned to FBET (n=12) or a waitlist (n=12).

In this study, participants will be randomized to receive the FBET intervention or PEP for 16 weeks. Participants in the PEP study arm will be offered the opportunity to have the FBET intervention at the end of the 16 week study period. The study aims are to:

Aim 1: Evaluate whether FBET is superior to PEP in reducing elopement in 76 children (age ≥ 4 to ≤ 12) with ASD after 16 weeks of treatment using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Hyperactivity subscale (ABC-H).

Aim 2: Evaluate two key secondary outcomes (at Wk 16): a) the independent evaluator ratings on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement rating (CGI-I) and b) home safety, based on the percentage of prevention items endorsed on the home elopement safety checklist (HESC).

Aim 3: Evaluate whether direct observation of elopement, based on parent data on elopement frequency for one week leading up to each assessment point, demonstrates a significant decrease in the FBET compared to PEP participants.

Aim 4: Evaluate whether gains made in the FBET group are maintained after treatment (at Wk 28, using the ABC-H, HESC, and CGI-I)

Exploratory Aim 1: To evaluate the impact of FBET on disruptive behavior using the ABC-Irritability subscale

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET)

Participants in this group will receive Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET) for 16 weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET) includes 12 appointments over 16 weeks. FBET focuses on parent-training, with the parent implementing procedures with therapist support. The goals of FBET are:

• to create a safer environment
• teach adaptive skills to replace elopement
• arrange the environment and rewards to reduce elopement
• and teach caregivers how to respond if elopement occurs Psychoeducation is emphasized, including discussions of elopement as a learned behavior, reinforcement, functions of elopement, extinction, and descriptions of treatment components. The FBET manual includes scripted text, examples, caregiver completed activities, and checks for understanding.

Parent Education Program (PEP)

Participants in this group will take part in a parent education program (PEP) for 16 weeks.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Parent Education Program (PEP)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Parent Education Program (PEP) will include 12 appointments over 16 weeks, focused on general education about autism spectrum disorder and resources about elopement prevention. PEP will be administered by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Participants randomized to the PEP study arm can receive the FBET intervention after completing the 16 week study period.

Interventions

Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET)

The Function-Based Elopement Treatment (FBET) includes 12 appointments over 16 weeks. FBET focuses on parent-training, with the parent implementing procedures with therapist support. The goals of FBET are:

• to create a safer environment
• teach adaptive skills to replace elopement
• arrange the environment and rewards to reduce elopement
• and teach caregivers how to respond if elopement occurs Psychoeducation is emphasized, including discussions of elopement as a learned behavior, reinforcement, functions of elopement, extinction, and descriptions of treatment components. The FBET manual includes scripted text, examples, caregiver completed activities, and checks for understanding.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Parent Education Program (PEP)

The Parent Education Program (PEP) will include 12 appointments over 16 weeks, focused on general education about autism spectrum disorder and resources about elopement prevention. PEP will be administered by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Participants randomized to the PEP study arm can receive the FBET intervention after completing the 16 week study period.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• age ≥ 4 to ≤ 12
• diagnosis of ASD, confirmed by clinical characterization of an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), or Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (CARS-2), cognitive (e.g., Differential Abilities Scale [DAS], Mullen Scales of Early Learning [MSEL or Mullen]), and adaptive assessments (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Third Edition [Vineland-3])
• chief complaint of elopement
• an ABC-H score > 18

Exclusion Criteria

• caregivers who report they cannot reliably attend appointments
• ongoing or planned treatment that would likely impact elopement
• challenging behavior that should be treated prior to elopement

• Minimum Eligible Age: 4 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Autism Speaks

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Emory University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Mindy Scheithauer

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Mindy Scheithauer, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Emory University

Locations

Marcus Autism Center

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

IRB00108995

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id