View clinical trials related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Filter by:This study will investigate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of training parents to use a structured communication intervention that is aimed towards helping children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This intervention has demonstrated benefits for non-autistic children in known areas of difficulty found with autistic individuals. There are currently few evidence-based interventions for school-aged children with ASD who have no other language or intellectual disabilities and are educated in mainstream schools. We will evaluate the benefits of training parents to use a freely available communication technique designed to tackle underlying psychological processes crucial to later development.
This is an observational study where patients with eating disorders (ED) are compared with healthy controls without eating disorder (HC) regarding eating disorders features and autism spectrum features. Also patients will be reassessed after 5 years.
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and insomnia, and their parent(s) will undergo 4 sessions of behavioral therapy for sleep problems followed by 4 bimonthly booster sessions. Children and their families will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions: cognitive behavioral therapy (in-person), cognitive behavioral therapy (remote), or behavioral therapy (remote). Arousal will be measured through heart-rate variability. Sleep and secondary outcomes (child daytime behavior, parent sleep) will be collected at baseline (weeks 1-2 before starting the treatment), post-treatment (weeks 6-8 from baseline), 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up.
The number of students aged 6-21 years with an educational classification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States grew by about 19 times over a 19-year period-from 29,076 in 1995-6 to 545,198 in 2014-2015 (IDEA Data Center, 2018). Meeting the needs of this growing population of students is a significant concern for schools (Bowen, 2014). Investigators have described as many as 27 efficacious intervention strategies for teaching new skills to children with ASD (Wong et al., 2015). However, these strategies are only rarely implemented in schools. In a survey of 185 teachers across the state of Georgia working with at least one student with ASD, fewer than 5% reported using an evidence-based intervention (Hess, Morrier, Heflin, & Ivey, 2008). To address gaps in current practice for students with ASD, there is a need for (1) a process for selecting and implementing interventions that can address the multi-faceted needs of students with ASD and (2) a service-delivery system that is feasible, flexible, durable, effective, and sustainable in schools. The investigators hypothesize that The Modular Approach for Autism Programs in Schools (MAAPS), an individualized, comprehensive modular intervention system, will address this gap. MAAPS integrates evidence-based strategies to address core and associated features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to enhance the success of elementary students with ASD in schools. The primary aim is to evaluate whether, compared to services as usual, MAAPS improves teacher outcomes and subsequent student educational outcomes.
The ASD Screening and Parent ENgagement (ASPEN) program is a culturally adapted, parent-mediated intervention program. The ASPEN program is tailored to address social communication and behavioral difficulties that young children with developmental delays may experience in early childhood. The ASPEN Program includes 12 sessions where parents are provided with psychoeducation about self-care, child development, and evidence-based strategies. Coaching is also provided to train parents on using evidence-based strategies within the home setting. The ASPEN program is delivered by a student clinician and a peer leader. We hypothesize that coaching strategies delivered by the clinician will lead to primary family caregivers learning evidence-based strategies and this will result in improved child outcomes. We hypothesize that education and family support delivered by peer leaders will help primary family caregivers learn social support strategies and this will lead to improved parent outcomes.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is part of a multidisciplinary therapeutic management of infant autism including psychotherapy, drug treatment and other therapeutics (speech therapy, occupational therapy restrictive diet ...). It has been postulated that children with autism may benefit from HBOT due to the potential increase in cerebral perfusion occurring during treatment. In fact, inhaling oxygen above atmospheric pressure could cause an increase in the arterial partial pressure of oxygen, leading to increased oxygen supply to the brain. HBO may also have anti-inflammatory properties due to the reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor -α, interferon-γ and interleukins1 and 6). In addition, HBOT could improve mitochondrial dysfunction effects, as well as upregulate the production of antioxidant enzymes.Thus, hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be tried among the therapeutic arsenal of adjuvant treatments for autism.
The purpose of this research study is to investigate whether tDCS to the cerebellum (specifically, the right crus I/II area of the cerebellum) of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is safe and to examine its effects on some of the symptoms of ASD, such as repetitive behaviors and hyperactivity.
The aims of the BIBS Study The Brain Imaging in Babies study (BIBS) aims to improve understanding of how a baby's brain develops from before birth, up until 3-4 years of age. Working with children from a variety of backgrounds and communities, the investigators use a combination of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools such as MRI scans alongside traditional behavioural assessments to capture the earliest information on infant brain development. The focus of the BIBS study MRI scanning is a safe way of producing detailed images using strong magnetic fields and radio waves. It does not use X-ray. Along with learning more about brain development in general, the investigators also try to identify features that may in future help predict whether a child will or will not develop traits of conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Long-term, this may help target useful interventions early on, helping children who are most in need. Since COVID-19 arrived in the United Kingdom (U.K.) in 2020, the investigators have been given ethical approval to include testing for this infection in the mothers and children participating in the study. This may provide an opportunity to better understand how mother and baby respond to infections. The investigators particularly welcome mothers who have had a positive COVID-19 test during their pregnancy to join the study.
Difficulties in social interactions are the core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are characterized by abnormal social perception, mainly concerning eye gaze. Anatomo-functional abnormalities within the superior temporal sulcus (STS), a key region of the social brain, have been described in ASD. The investigators had recently shown that it is possible to modulate the neural activity of the STS with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with an impact on social perception, measured by eye-tracking. In the context of ASD, stimulation of the STS with excitatory TMS could lead to an improvement in social perception, which would open up new therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study is to apply a therapeutic TMS protocol (10 daily sessions) at the right STS in young adults with ASD to improve their social behavior, objectively measured using eye-tracking.
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of guided self-help Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) for adults who have a diagnosis for Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are experiencing psychological distress (stress, anxiety or depression). This is a repeated measures design, using a single case experimental design (SCED) over a period of fourteen weeks. Each participant (n=8) with be asked to complete weekly measures and shortened measures every three days, while they read an ACT guided self-help bibliotherapy. For more information about the measures, please see outcome measure section. The ACT guided bibliotherapy will be administered to each participant on a weekly basis, over eight weeks. Participants will be asked to complete outcome measures at two week and at four weeks post intervention.