Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.
TERMINATED
NA
15 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2020-01-15
2020-11-10
Brief Summary
Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.
Previous research found that individuals who verbally repeat a previously presented stimulus (i.e., rehearsal) tended to perform better than those who do not rehearse (Bebko, Rhee, Ncube, \& Dahary, 2017; Joseph, Steele, Meyer, \& Tager-Flusberg, 2005). In addition, among studies that investigated WM in children with autism, Baltruschat et al (2011a; 2011; 2012) conduct studies using positive reinforcement. Their results reveal that the positive reinforcement appeared to have produced better working memory.
The present study intends to investigate if training children with autism to use rehearsal strategy would improve their working memory. In addition, the investigators are also interested to see if reinforcement is a critical component that may provide additive effects beyond the effects of rehearsal. The investigators intend to randomly assign children to four different conditions: control, rehearsal, reinforcement, and rehearsal + reinforcement conditions. The results of this study should provide empirical evidence for practitioners to improve WM in children with autism.
Detailed Description
Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.
The purpose of prescreening is to determine the IQ and functioning level of the participants. The investigators will administrate IQ tests in which the participants will complete a series of tasks such as pointing to images/objects, placing objects, and answer questions upon instruction. The investigators will interview parents regarding their children's levels of functioning as well as their information (e.g., level of education). Additionally, the investigators will also assess the number of digits (digit span) and delay for each participant as the participants may function at different levels. Members of the research team will test a combination of different digit span and delays for each participant to assess how many digits in a sequence (i.e., digit span) they can remember and how long (i.e., delay) they can remember the digit sequence.
Pretest:
A pretest trial starts when a teacher asks a participant to repeat a sequence of numbers and a sequence of nonsense words. The teacher will say one number or one nonsense word at a time, wait for a predetermined interval, and ask the participant to report the numbers or the words in the exact sequence as they hear. The trial ends after the participant recalls correctly or incorrectly, or if the participant does not produce a recall after 5 s. The teacher will not provide any verbal feedback for participants' responses during the pretest. The investigators will conduct pretest for approximately one week. During the pretest, teacher will record exactly what the participant says.
Random assignment:
After pretest, the participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: control, rehearsal, reinforcement, and rehearsal + reinforcement groups.
Control group Participants in this group will not receive any intervention during the study.
Rehearsal group Participants in this group will receive rehearsal intervention. The intervention will last approximately 2-3 weeks depending on the participant performance. Sessions will be conducted daily, and each will include 10 trials.
A preference assessment will be conducted to determine the reinforcer before each session. Participants will be asked to choose a reinforcer that they would like to receive during the instruction. In a rehearsal trial, the teacher will verbally present numbers in a sequence. After a number is verbally presented, the teacher will prompt the participant to rehearse (repeat) the number being said as well as all previous numbers. Correct rehearsal will be followed by a reinforcer (e.g., an edible item with verbal praise). Once the participant can independently rehearse the number(s), the prompts for verbal rehearsal will only be provided when he or she does not start providing a rehearsal within 1 s. The reinforcer will then only be given for correct unprompted verbal rehearsal. If the participant does not provide any verbal rehearsals or verbalize incorrect numbers, the instructor will repeat the process and ask the participant to rehearse the numbers again. After the predetermined delay after the correct verbal rehearsal, the participant will be asked to recall the number sequence. No reinforcement or feedback will be provided.
Reinforcement group A preference assessment will be conducted to determine the reinforcer before each session. Participants will be asked to choose a reinforcer that they would like to receive during the instruction. Before each trial, the teacher will verbally instruct the participant to try to remember the numbers and that the reinforcer will be delivered upon the correct recall. In each trial, the teacher will verbally present numbers in a sequence. After a while, the teacher will ask the participant to repeat the numbers in the sequence. If the participant correctly repeats the numbers, the reinforcer will be given. If the numbers are repeated incorrectly, the reinforcement will not be given. No other instruction will be given (e.g., on rehearsal strategy).
Rehearsal + reinforcement group The participants in this group will receive rehearsal intervention and reinforcement in the same manner as the participants in the rehearsal group as well as in the reinforcement group.
Posttest:
Posttest procedure and data collection will be the same as those during pretest.
Conditions
See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.
Study Design
Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.
RANDOMIZED
FACTORIAL
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.
Control
No intervention will be provided for participants enrolled in the control group.
No interventions assigned to this group
Rehearsal
Participants will receive instruction on rehearsal strategy.
Rehearsal strategy
Teaching children to cumulatively rehearse numbers as they are being said.
Reinforcement
Participants will receive reinforcement for correct recall.
Reinforcement
Providing reinforcement for correct recall after a delay.
Rehearsal + Reinforcement
The participants in this group will receive instruction on rehearsal strategy and reinforcement for correct recall.
Rehearsal strategy and reinforcement
Teaching children to cumulatively rehearse numbers as they are being said, AND providing reinforcement for correct recall after a delay.
Interventions
Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.
Rehearsal strategy
Teaching children to cumulatively rehearse numbers as they are being said.
Reinforcement
Providing reinforcement for correct recall after a delay.
Rehearsal strategy and reinforcement
Teaching children to cumulatively rehearse numbers as they are being said, AND providing reinforcement for correct recall after a delay.
Eligibility Criteria
Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.
Inclusion Criteria
* have an echoic repertoire
Exclusion Criteria
4 Years
8 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.
Shanghai Xuhui Clover Children Healthy Garden
UNKNOWN
Jingdezhen Kindkids Autism Rehabilitation and Training Center
UNKNOWN
Sunshine Special Education Center
UNKNOWN
Arizona State University
OTHER
Responsible Party
Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.
Principal Investigators
Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.
Chengan Yuan, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Arizona State University
Erin Rotheram-Fuller, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Arizona State University
Locations
Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.
Jingdezhen Kindkids Autism Rehabilitation and Training Center
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China
Sunshine Special Education Center
Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
Shanghai Xuhui Clover Children Healthy Garden
Shanghai, , China
Countries
Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.
References
Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.
Habib A, Harris L, Pollick F, Melville C. A meta-analysis of working memory in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One. 2019 Apr 30;14(4):e0216198. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216198. eCollection 2019.
Joseph RM, Steele SD, Meyer E, Tager-Flusberg H. Self-ordered pointing in children with autism: failure to use verbal mediation in the service of working memory? Neuropsychologia. 2005;43(10):1400-11. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.01.010. Epub 2005 Feb 17.
Baltruschat L, Hasselhorn M, Tarbox J, Dixon D R, Najdowski AC, Mullins R D, Gould, ER. Addressing working memory in children with autism through behavioral intervention. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2011;5(1): 267-76. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2010.04.008
Bebko JM, Rhee T, Ncube BL, Dahary H. Effectiveness and Retention of Teaching Memory Strategy Use to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Canadian Journal of School Psychology. 2017;32(3-4): 244-64. doi: 10.1177/0829573517699332
Other Identifiers
Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.
STUDY00010960
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id