Clinical Trial: iPad Application to Treat Prosodic Deficits in Students With Communication Disorders

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Handheld Technology for Speech Development in Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of a specialized iPad application designed to treat difficulties with intonation (e.g., melody in voice) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other communication disorders.

Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Yale University

Current Primary Outcome: Effectiveness of software [ Time Frame: 12 months ]

The effectiveness of the software will be measured in two ways.

  1. Perceptual ratings of prosody. Pre- and post-treatment speech samples will be collected from each student participant. These samples will be rated by a member of the research staff on the following prosodic characteristics: rate, rhythm, stress, volume.
  2. Questionnaires. Questionnaires will be completed pre- and post-treatment by the students' classroom teacher and speech-language pathologist. These questionnaires will measure the students' use and generalization of skills taught during the intervention.


Original Primary Outcome: Effectiveness of software [ Time Frame: 12 months ]

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Usability of software [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
    Usability of software will be measured through questionnaires completed by the speech-language pathologists. Questionnaires will measure ease of software use, utility of software functions, and student engagement during intervention sessions.
  • Student engagement in treatment [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
    Student engagement will be evaluated indirectly by rating scales completed by the speech-language pathologist. Likert scales will be used to quantify student engagement on the following parameters: time engaged in on-task behavior, time engaged in off-task behavior, perceived enjoyment of software.
  • Improvement in peer acceptance [ Time Frame: 12 months ]

    Changes in peer acceptance will be evaluated using two different methodologies.

    1. Classroom teacher questionnaire. Each student's classroom teacher will complete a questionnaire pre- and post-treatment measuring the student's interaction with classroom peers.
    2. Semi-structured observation. A member of the research staff will observe each student pre- and post-treatment and complete frequency tallies on the number of peer interactions initiated during a 15-minute semi-structured activity.


Original Secondary Outcome:

  • Usability of software [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  • Student engagement in treatment [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  • Improvement in peer acceptance [ Time Frame: 12 months ]


Information By: Yale University

Dates:
Date Received: August 5, 2013
Date Started: July 2013
Date Completion:
Last Updated: June 13, 2016
Last Verified: June 2016