View clinical trials related to Autism.
Filter by:The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of a specialized swimming and water-safety program (Sensory Enhanced Aquatics) and standard swimming lessons for autistic children. The main question[s]it aims to answer are: - Do Sensory Enhanced Aquatics and standard swimming lessons improve swimming and water-safety skills of autistic children? - Which participant characteristics are associated with the highest post-intervention swim skills and water safety across both groups? Participants will: - Complete questionnaires, motor, and swim tests before the intervention. - participate in 16, 30-minute Sensory Enhanced Aquatics lessons. - Complete a swim test after the intervention. - Complete an interview. Researchers will compare with participation in standard swim lessons to see if which bests teaches swimming and water-safety to autistic children.
To examine the effects of posture, hand functions and sensory processing skills on nutrition in children with autism spectrum disorder. The study aims to include 40 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), directed from the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Istanbul University, along with their parents/caregivers, and 40 healthy children along with their parents/caregivers.
The goal of this proposed trial will modify an existing toothbrushing app for teens with autism and compare toothbrushing outcomes with a control app. We have 2 specific aims: - During the 2-year UG3 phase, we will use the Discover, Design+Build, and Test Framework to modify our existing app and pilot the intervention. - During the 4-year UH3 phase, we will recruit 270 pre-adolescents and teens with autism ages 10 to 17 years, randomize participants to one of two arms, and compare outcomes. Participants will asked to use the app, complete surveys on REDCap, participate in feedback interviews and focus groups. Behavior change in the experimental group will be compared with that in the control group.
When youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transition from school to adult services, they fall off a "service cliff." To increase access to services, the investigators developed the ASSIST program, which teaches parents how to advocate for adult services on behalf of youth with ASD. In a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT: R34 MH104428), treatment group (versus control) participants demonstrated significantly improved knowledge of adult services, advocacy, and empowerment. Sons/daughters of treatment group participants had increased access to services. For advocacy services interventions like ASSIST to be equitable, they need to reach families who are at greatest risk for service disparities. Latinx youth with ASD are one such underserved population. Relative to White youth, Latinx youth with ASD receive significantly fewer post-secondary education, health, and employment services and face worse post-school outcomes. In addition to the barriers which hinder service access for all families, Latinx families face unique barriers to service access (e.g., language, cultural differences, citizenship, discrimination) making them a marginalized population. In this project, the investigators are adapting the ASSIST curriculum and related measures for Latinx parents of transition-aged youth with ASD. Specifically, the investigators will leverage ASSIST data and data from Latinx, non-ASSIST parents to inform adaptations to the ASSIST curriculum. The investigators will also conduct pre-testing and a cross-cultural adaptation process to revise the ASSIST measures for Latinx families. The investigators will test the adapted ASSIST curriculum with a randomized controlled trial to determine its feasibility, acceptability and efficacy on intervention targets (knowledge, advocacy, and empowerment) and outcome of interest (service access). This project is aligned with NIMH priorities by examining services from adolescence to adulthood (PA-21-199) and by adapting a program to improve mental health services for underserved populations NIMH 2020 Strategic plan). It is also responsive to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee core value of "equity" in reducing disparities with respect to cultural backgrounds. Further, if successful, it will be the first intervention to directly address service disparities for Latinx families of youth with ASD who are transitioning to adulthood.
The overall project aim is to study children's neurodevelopmental outcomes (including diagnoses of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability) following exposure to maternal anemia during pregnancy or anemia during the first year of life using national and regional Swedish health-data registers, and to assess children's neurodevelopmental outcomes over the range of maternal hemoglobin levels during pregnancy.
In addition to the "core" symptoms of ASD (i.e., impaired communication, impaired reciprocal social interaction and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors or interests), it is estimated that up to 70% of autistic people present at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder, leading to a deterioration in quality of life, a greater demand for support and worse prognosis and outcome. Anxiety and depressive symptoms would seem to be more present in individuals with Level 1 ASD, requiring their prioritisation against core symptoms. To date, the first-line treatment for autistic patients with comorbid depressive and/or anxiety symptoms is still debated and it is not always clear whether they may or may not benefit from psychotherapeutic and conventional psychopharmacological approaches. As such, growing evidence strengthens the therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system modulation and of eCB-like compounds. The aim of this study is to provide a response to an unmet clinical need in this framework of psychic vulnerability by initiating oral therapy with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a nutraceutical/food supplement with proven anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Indeed, many conditions of psychological distress are thought to be underpinned by systemic inflammatory and/or neuroinflammatory processes, on which PEA has shown remarkable efficacy, including through modulation of the immune response and the interaction between the endocannabinoid system and the gut-microbiota-brain axis. The trial we are proposing is a 12-week open-label phase 2 study involving the daily intake of PEA 600 mg, at a dosage of 1 tablet/day. This study will be conducted at the Unit of Psychiatry of Santa Maria della Misericordia Udine University Hospital. Through this study, we wish to evaluate: the ability of PEA to alleviate symptoms of psychic distress (i.e., anxiety and/or depression) in Level 1 autistic adults; the safety and tolerability of sustained intake of PEA in Level 1 autistic adults; and the biological basis of PEA functioning. The study involves taking PEA orally once daily (600 mg daily) at the same time as a meal during the initial 12-week phase. Upon completion of the initial phase, subjects will be offered to enter an extension phase of the trial of an additional 24 weeks to assess treatment stability, with the possibility of titration of PEA to 1200 mg daily based on observed clinical compensation. Each participant will be on PEA treatment for up to 36 weeks. During the course of the study, periodic clinical re-evaluations will be conducted at our Day-Hospital setting. The trial will unfold through one screening visit, one baseline visit, and two follow-up visits (FUP, 4 weeks and 12 weeks apart). The patient will be administered standardized interviews by a qualified investigating physician; clinical objective examination, collection of blood and urine samples for standard hematochemical investigations, collection of blood and stool samples for analysis of some biological markers of interest, monitoring of adherence to therapy intake, side effects, and adverse effects will also be performed during the follow-up visits. The nutraceutical PEA will be dispensed by the clinical investigators at each follow-up visit.
The objective of the study is to learn about and manage emotions such as anxiety and anger. The activities are aimed at identifying and managing emotions such as anxiety and anger, through the recognition of the changes that occur at a physiological, cognitive, behavioral and communicative level. In the first sessions, children will be exposed to the emotion of happiness through pleasant activities and involved in relaxation exercises. In subsequent sessions, anger and then anxiety will be addressed first. Social tools will be introduced and ways of thinking and perspective useful to children will be addressed. Furthermore, they will learn to use all the tools and strategies necessary to face and overcome the various emotions and situations in a functional manner. In the final sessions, children will work to design a cognitive-behavioral intervention program for themselves and other group members to improve the management of anxiety and anger. The expected results concern the acquisition of adequate emotional regulation; the construction of functional thoughts, social tools, thinking and perspective tools, adequate strategies for managing emotions; the design of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program in daily life and the strengthening of relational, social, empathic and resilient skills within the peer group and families.
The Virtual Reality Rehabilitation System (VRRS) is an innovative and sophisticated technology, aimed to generate immersive and interactive settings intended for therapeutic and evaluative objectives. Through the utilization of virtual reality technology, it constructs diverse scenarios, tasks, and activities in a controlled digital environment, fostering engagement. Primarily crafted for rehabilitation purposes, the VRRS features adaptable programs addressing various therapeutic requirements, encompassing motor skill enhancement, cognitive challenges, and assessments related to balance.Understanding the nuanced motor abilities in children, particularly those with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism, is a critical area of research in pediatric rehabilitation. The significance of this research lies in comprehending the specific balance challenges experienced by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a population often noted for motor coordination and balance difficulties. Because VRRS offers a controlled and engaging environment, this study seeks to provide a detailed analysis of static balance abilities in capabilities in children diagnosed with ASD in comparison to typically developing (TD) children. The study also wants to explore the efficacy of VRRS as an assessment tool for pediatric balance evaluations.The primary objective of this study is to highlight the distinctions in postural control between ASD and TD children, utilizing an objective quantification tool to delineate the differences between the two groups. This will be achieved through a group comparison study involving two distinct cohorts. The first group will comprise 30 school-aged children with ASD, while the second group will consist of 30 TD school-aged children. To evaluate postural control, both groups will participate in an activity utilizing the VRRS in conjunction with a stabilometric balance platform. During the assessment task, participants will stand on the balance platform with their eyes open, focusing on a fixed point displayed on the VRRS screen for a duration of one minute. This process will be repeated three times for each participant. The combined use of VRRS and the stabilometric balance platform aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of postural control abilities in both groups, allowing for the observation and measurement of potential differences in stability and balance performance between children with ASD and their neurotypical counterparts.
Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a behavioral syndrome characterized by a severe organizational disorder of thinking and major functions that regulate human adaptation. It is to be considered as a functional disorder, or of executive functions, whose dysfunction is expressed in the difficulty of making voluntary movements, sequentially coordinated with each other according to a purpose, and of initiating an action, planning and monitoring it by inhibiting inappropriate responses such as gesture perseveration. Literature studies suggest that, compared to children with typical development (TD) and regardless of cognitive status, children with ASC have pervasive motor dysfunction that results in universal difficulties in several aspects of motor function, including - (1) fine motricity, (2) some aspects of praxis while performing tasks based on imitation of sequences, (3) simultaneous coordination of both sides of the body during rhythmic tasks of the upper limbs, andĚ (4) interpersonal coordination and synchrony. The hypothesis of the study is that by comparing these aspects in 2 groups of children with ASC and children with TD using A.I. systems, it will be possible to extract objective markers of motor deficits found in autism, facilitating the validation of measurements acquired with clinical scales. The objective of the study is to investigate the characteristics of manual motor planning and performance difficulties in children with ASC using kinematic measurements. 30 ASC children with medium-high functioning and 30 TD children, aged 7 to 13 years, IQ > 80, in the absence of motor deficits due to another clinical condition, will be recruited. The protocol will take place in a single session during which children will be video-recorded performing simple and complex rhythmic upper limb actions with a social partner. The presence of characteristic fine motor behaviors, practice errors, perseverations, movement variability, and interpersonal synchrony will be observed. The study will involve the use of 3 tasks contained in NEPSY-II: Finger tapping, Visual-motor precision, and Imitation of manual motor sequences. The videos will be recorded simultaneously and the different angles will allow hand kinematics to be extracted and analyzed with A.I. algorithms to measure displacement, velocity, acceleration, frequency and any other kinematic parameters highlighted. Thus, it is expected to identify objective markers of motor deficits found in children with ASC.
Virtual QT is a social robot designed to interact with humans in social and educational contexts. Equipped with visual and vocal interfaces, the robot can recognize and respond to various human inputs, providing emotional support and social interaction. It uses facial expressions, gestures, and movements to communicate, encouraging engagement and supporting learning through playful and educational activities. Its ergonomic design and interactive approach make it suitable for both clinical and educational settings. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the QTrobot in interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to assess whether children's attention and imitation are equally effective with the QTrobot compared to interacting with a human being. Furthermore, the presence of significant differences between motor and expressive imitation, when interacting with the robot as opposed to a human interlocutor, will be investigated. A key aspect of this investigation is to assess whether the presence of the QTrobot can positively influence the repetitive or stereotyped behaviors exhibited by the children, compared to interaction with a person. Additionally, to further understanding, the children's heart rate will be monitored through the use of a sensor that will allow to evaluate how heart rate affects performance outcomes during interaction with the QTrobot and with a human being. In this study, children will be recruited to take part in two separate sessions, both involving the same task. During the first session, the task will be carried out between the child and the human operator. Subsequently, in the same task, the child will interact with the QT robot. Throughout both task administrations, the child will wear a sensor to detect their heart rate. Furthermore, all task sessions will be video-recorded to conduct subsequent video analysis and make notes on imitation behaviors and stereotypical actions relevant to the study.