Characterizing Occupational Therapy Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

NCT ID: NCT05480605

Last Updated: 2025-11-14

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

Total Enrollment

2 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-19

Study Completion Date

2024-11-04

Brief Summary

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This pilot study aims to identify behavioral and neural measures of sensory processing and attention associated with routine occupational therapy intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, the investigator will examine the impact of a child's level of engagement during therapy using standardized behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures of sensory processing.

Detailed Description

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Occupational therapy is one of the most frequently requested and highly utilized interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (autism) and therapists have consistently reported using the sensory integration framework as a dominant theory guiding practice. A key component of sensory integration theory is the child's active engagement during therapy, which is assumed to improve neural function, behavior, and participation. However, no studies have examined the neural mechanisms associated with occupational therapy interventions among children with autism.

This pilot feasibility study will examine behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) measures of attention and sensory processing before and following 6-8 weeks of routine occupational therapy at community outpatient centers among 30 children with autism aged 6 - 13 years. The primary aim is to determine the feasibility, sensitivity, and validity of EEG measures of auditory processing as a response biomarker following routine occupational therapy intervention. Another aim is to examine the contribution of a child's engagement during therapy as a key predictor of change using behavioral and EEG outcome measures. The occupational therapy intervention consists of one-hour weekly sessions of usual care at Nationwide Children's Hospital outpatient centers.

Results from this grant will provide valuable proof-of-concept data establishing engagement during therapy as an active ingredient in occupational therapy intervention using neurophysiological and behavioral measures. These results will also establish the validity of EEG measures as sensitive to a child's level of engagement and neuroplastic changes following occupational therapy intervention.

Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

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Occupational Therapy Engagement Autism Spectrum Disorders EEG/ERP

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Experimental Group

Children with autism ages 6-13

Occupational Therapy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Children with autism will receive 6 - 8 weeks of regularly scheduled occupational therapy at Nationwide Children's Hospital outpatient centers. The intervention consists of one-hour weekly sessions with a licensed occupational therapist.

Interventions

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Occupational Therapy

Children with autism will receive 6 - 8 weeks of regularly scheduled occupational therapy at Nationwide Children's Hospital outpatient centers. The intervention consists of one-hour weekly sessions with a licensed occupational therapist.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

For children with autism:

* a medical diagnosis of Autism
* between 8 - 13 years
* must be verbal
* have normal or corrected vision/hearing
* enrollment in the 8-week OT treatment plan with a therapist enrolled in the study.

For typically developing children:

• No history of neurological injuries, disabilities, and family history of mental health disorders on parent report

Exclusion Criteria

* history of a definitive neurologic disorder including seizures (except for uncomplicated brief febrile seizures), tumor, severe head injury, stroke, lesion, or disease
* presence of a severe chronic medical disorder
* presence of a major visual impairment
* history of alcohol/substance abuse or dependency.
Minimum Eligible Age

6 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

13 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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American Occupational Therapy Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Nationwide Children's Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Ohio State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Jewel Crasta

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Jewel Crasta, PhD., OTR/L

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Ohio State University

Locations

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Nationwide Children's Hospital

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Site Status

McCampbell Hall

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Case-Smith J, Weaver LL, Fristad MA. A systematic review of sensory processing interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Autism. 2015 Feb;19(2):133-48. doi: 10.1177/1362361313517762. Epub 2014 Jan 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24477447 (View on PubMed)

Crasta, J. E. (2018). Behavioral and neural sensory processing in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(4_Supplement_1), 7211505081p1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.72S1-PO1012

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Dawson G, Jones EJ, Merkle K, Venema K, Lowy R, Faja S, Kamara D, Murias M, Greenson J, Winter J, Smith M, Rogers SJ, Webb SJ. Early behavioral intervention is associated with normalized brain activity in young children with autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012 Nov;51(11):1150-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.08.018.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23101741 (View on PubMed)

LaGasse AB, Manning RCB, Crasta JE, Gavin WJ, Davies PL. Assessing the Impact of Music Therapy on Sensory Gating and Attention in Children With Autism: A Pilot and Feasibility Study. J Music Ther. 2019 Aug 13;56(3):287-314. doi: 10.1093/jmt/thz008.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31225588 (View on PubMed)

Miller LJ, Anzalone ME, Lane SJ, Cermak SA, Osten ET. Concept evolution in sensory integration: a proposed nosology for diagnosis. Am J Occup Ther. 2007 Mar-Apr;61(2):135-40. doi: 10.5014/ajot.61.2.135. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17436834 (View on PubMed)

Crasta JE, Gavin WJ, Davies PL. Expanding our understanding of sensory gating in children with autism spectrum disorders. Clin Neurophysiol. 2021 Jan;132(1):180-190. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.09.020. Epub 2020 Oct 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33310588 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2021H0140

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id