View clinical trials related to Autistic Disorder.
Filter by:The group of patients diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing and so is the need for new and effective treatment methods. ASD is characterized, among other things, by difficulties in social interaction and communication. These difficulties often affects their quality of life and causes a risk of developing social anxiety or other forms of mental illness, which often leads to isolation and may cause difficulties in participating in regular face- to- face psychological treatment. Although research shows that group therapy is favorable for this group of patients, many with ASD refrain from group-treatment due to social anxiety or difficulties with public transport. In order to increase the availability of evidence based psychological treatment for these patients, it seems important to be able to offer a web-based treatment option, with the ability to participate in online group sessions. The aim of the study is to investigate whether Internet-based CBT is an effective method of improving the quality of life and sense of coherence and decreasing symtoms of anxiety and depression among adults with ASD. A randomized controlled study design will be used. Assessment will be conducted through video interviews, recruiting 84 patients with ASD and normal intellectual abilities. Symptoms of depression and other forms of psychopathology will be assessed through MINI-7 interviews. Primary outcome measures are quality of life. Participants in the intervention group receives a 18 week blended treatment combining individual ICBT delivered through a treatment platform called Stöd och Behandling (SOB) with the opportunity to participate in regular group discussions delivered through a discussion forum online. Participants in the control groups are offered self-studies through psycho educative books about ASD. Data will be collected at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment and after six and 12 months.
The purpose of this research is to study the effects of a novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool for automatic facial expression recognition that runs on Google Glass through an Android app to deliver social emotion cues to children with autism during social interactions. This novel device will use a camera, microphone, head motion tracker to analyze the behavior of the subject during interactions with other people. The system is designed to give participants non-interruptive social cues in real-time and will record social responses that can later be used to help aid behavioral therapy. It is hypothesized that the system's ability to provide continuous behavioral therapy during social interactions will enable faster gains in social skills.
This study will test the efficacy of a nationally recognized employment training and placement program (Project SEARCH) when applied to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is designed to examine a single overall research question: Research Question: To what extent does a collaborative, employer-based employment training and placement program improve the employment outcomes, need for support, social responsiveness, self-determination, and quality of life of young adults with ASD 18-21 served in public special education programs?
This study will examine the effects of treatment with the anti-anxiety medicine buspirone on driving performance (eye tracking) in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD). The study consists of an Assessment Visit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), as well as two Driving Simulation visits that will take place at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Subjects will be given buspirone and asked to take the medication for the two days preceding the Driving Simulation Visit.
This study investigates brain response to single acute dose of cannabidiol, cannabidivarin, and placebo in healthy men with and without autism spectrum disorder
This is a one group pre-post feasibility study of an interdisciplinary (theatre, Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech Language Pathology (SLP)) intervention targeted at social skill development in children, aged 3-4. The intervention uses process drama modified with OT and SLP techniques and using typically developing peer models . Feasibility outcomes are recruitment rates, retention rates, daily program records of ease of implementing the program, and record of modifications needed. Child primary outcomes are Social Skills Improvement Scale (SSIS) and the Theory of Mind (ToM) Battery and Inventory within 4 weeks of program end. Secondary outcomes will be the Structured Play Assessment (SPA) within 4 weeks post-intervention, observations of social interactions (e.g.,eye contract, joint attention, verbal utterances, physical contact) during intervention sessions, brain activity in frontal and temporal/parietal areas during ToM tasks measured by high density EEG within 4 weeks of program end, and parental interview at 3 months related to child's social skills.
The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the outcomes of children who received an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis when they were toddlers. The study is interested in whether an early diagnosis can help children with their cognitive, language, social, and behavioral abilities.
As anesthesia is often needed for childhood surgery and procedures, researchers have examined the potential effects of anesthesia on neurodevelopment. There are few studies that have examined the effect of anesthesia on neurodevelopment in children with confirmed diagnoses of ASD, and the results of these studies are mixed. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders can have age-dependent variations in brain anatomy, function, and connectivity, which may alter their sensitivity to the potential neurotoxic effects of anesthetic and sedative drugs. Given the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects of anesthesia on typically developing children, it is important to examine if anesthesia exposure can worsen the clinical course of ASD.
We will evaluate whether a resilience training program which includes group and individual parent training will be effective in improving optimism and resiliency in parents of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). By observing the level of parent optimism and resiliency before and after intervention, we will be able to determine whether the intervention is effective in improving parent resilience.
The Social ABCs is an evidence-based, developmentally informed, caregiver-mediated behavioural intervention for toddlers with suspected or confirmed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is based on principles of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT, grounded in Applied Behavioural Analysis), and responsive parenting. The two key targets of this program are functional verbal communication and positive caregiver-child affect sharing. This intervention takes place in the context of play and daily routines, and in all contexts is made to be fun. In both a pilot study and a recently completed randomized control trial, toddlers whose caregivers received training in the Social ABCs intervention showed significant gains in early language development (both responsivity and initiations), increased child smiling (mediated by parent smiling), and a trend toward increased social orienting (one important manifestation of social attention). In an effort to make the Social ABCs more feasible for community service providers to provide this intervention to higher number families, an abbreviated version of the Social ABCs intervention is being offered in a mixed group/individual format in a clinic setting. The primary goal of this pilot project is to assess feasibility of this abbreviated program in the novel format and setting. The secondary goal is to train clinical service providers to facilitate this intervention, thus introducing the program into community practice.