A Pilot Study to Characterize the Household Impact of Locating Devices for Children With ASD Who Wander

Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Trial

— CHILD  

Official title:

A Prospective Pilot Study to Characterize the Impact on Families of Electronic Tracking Device Use by Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Who Wander

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03814902
• Other study ID #: 18-0314_A
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 15, 2019
• Est. completion date: November 11, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: January 2021
• Source: Northwell Health
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This pilot study will obtain preliminary data about the impact of wearable electronic tracking devices (ETDs) as an intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who wander. The feasibility of all study procedures and the acceptability of the intervention will be evaluated.

Description:

Wandering, or elopement, is a life-threatening behavior that has been reported to occur in a third of all children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Wearable electronic tracking devices (ETDs) that are able to pinpoint a child's location have emerged as an appealing intervention for families concerned about wandering risk. However, the impact of ETD use on the families of children who wander has never been studied prospectively. In this pilot study, parents will be provided with a commercially-available ETD to use for their child with ASD for 6 weeks. Preliminary data will be obtained to evaluate the impact of ETD use on the strain experienced by families due to their child's wandering behavior. The feasibility of all study procedures will be assessed in preparation for a larger subsequent trial.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 31
• Est. completion date: November 11, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: November 11, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 18 years of age
• Parent of a child between the ages of 4 and 17 who currently has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), was diagnosed with ASD by a professional, and has wandered at least once in the preceding 3 months
• Currently lives in the United States
• Currently lives with child with ASD
• Has been living with child with ASD for at least 6 months
• Has reliable internet access to allow for completion of online questionnaires Exclusion Criteria: Current or past use of any electronic tracking device to address wandering behavior in the child with ASD

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Wandering Behavior

Intervention

Device:
• Electronic Tracking Device
This commercially-available electronic tracking device uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to display the wearer's location on a mobile phone, tablet, or computer. The device may be securely attached to clothing and is designed to be worn by children with developmental disabilities. Parents may use the associated application to view the child's location when the device is turned on and active.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York	New Hyde Park	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Northwell Health

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Kiely B, Migdal TR, Vettam S, Adesman A. Prevalence and Correlates of Elopement in a Nationally Representative Sample of Children with Developmental Disabilities in the United States. PLoS One. 2016 Feb 4;11(2):e0148337. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148337. eCollection 2016. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Rates of participant retention	Participant retention will be assessed to evaluate the feasibility of all study procedures.	6 weeks
Primary	Rates of questionnaire completion	Questionnaire completion rates will be calculated to assess the feasibility of the proposed evaluation schedule.	6 weeks
Primary	Adherence to the intervention	The mean daily duration of participant use of the device will be assessed to evaluate the acceptability of the intervention.	6 weeks
Secondary	Changes from baseline in Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) scores	The Caregiver Strain Questionnaire is a validated, 21-item instrument that was developed to measure the strain experienced by parents of children with emotional and behavioral disorders. A modified version of this questionnaire will be administered in order to evaluate parental strain due to wandering-related concerns. The questionnaire measures three dimensions of caregiver strain, including objective strain (11 items), internalized subjective strain (6 items), and externalized subjective strain (4 items). Each subscale score is calculated by averaging responses (on a five-point scale) to all items in the subscale. A global score is obtained by summing all three subscale scores, with higher scores indicating a greater degree of caregiver strain.	Baseline and Week 6
Secondary	Changes from baseline in GAD-7 scores	The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) scale is a validated measure of the severity of anxiety symptoms. Possible scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe levels of anxiety.	Baseline, Week 6
Secondary	Changes from baseline in BFDS scores	The Brief Family Distress Scale (BFDS) is a single-item measure for evaluating the experience of distress or crisis in families of children with developmental disabilities. Possible scores range from 1 to 10, with higher scores representing a greater degree of family distress.	Baseline, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6
Secondary	Changes from baseline in the frequency of wandering-related disruptions to the household.	A weekly study-specific questionnaire will evaluate the perceived impact of the child's wandering behavior on parent, child, and family activities.	Baseline, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6
Secondary	Perceived impact of the intervention	Study-specific questionnaires will assess the perceived impact of the intervention on the child's wandering behavior and on the well-being of the parent and child.	6 weeks