Clinical Trial: Therapist and Parent Delivered Reciprocal Imitation Training for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title:

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to examine whether adding a parent education component to an existing intervention (Reciprocal Imitation Training) results in improved outcomes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is a behavioral intervention designed to improve spontaneous imitation skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Previous research suggests that it can be effective when used by trained therapists, teachers, siblings, and parents of children with ASD. However, it is unclear to what extent training parents to use RIT strategies in the home environment may enhance outcomes, compared to having therapists implement RIT individually with the child. The study will compare two different versions of RIT for young children with ASD: (1) two 60-minute weekly sessions of therapist-implemented RIT and (2) one weekly 60-minute session of therapist-implemented RIT and one weekly 60-minute session of parent education about using RIT in the home environment. The investigators will examine child and family outcomes between these two intervention types. Outcomes examined will include: (1) spontaneous and prompted imitation skills in the child with ASD, (2) social communication skills in the child with ASD, (3) parent stress, and (4) parent and child behaviors during parent-child play interactions.

Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Ohio State University

Current Primary Outcome:

  • Unstructured Imitation Assessment (UIA) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention) ]
    The Unstructured Imitation Assessment (UIA) is a semi-structured, standardized test of imitation skills containing 10 object imitation and 10 gesture imitation tasks (Ingersoll & Meyer, 2011).
  • Percentage of parent acts imitated during Parent-Child Play Interaction [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention) ]
    Percentage of parent play acts and meaningful gestures imitated by the child during a 10-minute unstructured play interaction with parent


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Parenting Stress Index, 4th Edition [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention) ]
  • Motor Imitation Scales [ Time Frame: 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention), 3 months post-treatment, 6 months post-treatment ]
  • Early Social Communication Scales [ Time Frame: 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention), 3 months post-treatment, 6 months post-treatment ]
  • Proportion of time spent jointly engaged during Parent-Child Play Interaction [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 10 weeks (immediately post-intervention) ]
    Proportion of time spent in joint engagement state (joint focus on same activity) during a 10-minute unstructured play interaction with parent


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Ohio State University

Dates:
Date Received: June 3, 2016
Date Started: April 2016
Date Completion: December 2019
Last Updated: January 11, 2017
Last Verified: January 2017