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Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School

Primary Purpose

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Education communication skills (ECS) training
Partners in School
Sponsored by
New York State Psychiatric Institute
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesAccepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Must be parent/primary caregiver or full-time, lead teacher
  2. Must have or teach preschool, pre- kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade child with ASD
  3. Must have or teach child with ASD that can see and hear
  4. Access to internet via wifi-enabled phone, tablet, or computer
  5. Must be English or Spanish speaking
  6. An active email -

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Parents with younger (less than preschool) or older children (in 2nd grade or above)
  2. Teachers who teach older than 1st grade.
  3. Teaching assistants

Sites / Locations

  • Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene at the New York State Psychiatric Institute

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Active Comparator

Arm Label

Partners in School with Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training

Partners in School without Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training

Arm Description

Parents and teachers in the experimental condition will receive Partners in School with communication training.

Parents and teachers in the control condition will receive Partners in School without communication training.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS)
The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, "I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover."
Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS)
The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, "I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover."
Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II)
The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, "I don't like the way this teacher talks to me."
Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II)
The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, "I don't like the way this teacher talks to me."
Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ)
The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, "My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan." It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory
Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ)
The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, "My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan." It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory
Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS)
The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, "I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress."
Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS)
The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, "I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress."
Change from Baseline Fidelity (to Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks
Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of intervention steps completed by parents (parent fidelity) and teachers (teacher fidelity) will be computed.
Change from Baseline Alignment (of Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks
Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of steps in the student intervention plan completed by both parents and teachers will be used as the measure of continuity.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Frequency and Severity Form (FSF)
Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, "How often does this occur with your child at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, "How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School.
Frequency and Severity Form (FSF)
Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, "How often does this occur with your child at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, "How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with autism. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with ASD. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills.
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
The home-school notes will assess the child's progress toward his/her pre-determined goal that will be formulated by parents and teachers during the consultation meeting. We will use an adapted goal attainment scaling (GAS), ranging from the situation got significantly worse (-2) to the situation got significantly better (+2).
Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS)
The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, "How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs?"
Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS)
The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, "How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs?"
Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF)
The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, "How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent?" Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School.
Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF)
The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, "How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent?" Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School.
Consultant Adherence
The Partners in School objective checklists will be used to evaluate the extent to which the consultant followed the necessary components of the Partners in School protocol. The checklist has separate objectives for the pre-consultation, consultation, and post-consultation. An example objective for the pre-consultation is, "Asked about the frequency of the concern."

Full Information

First Posted
November 17, 2021
Last Updated
October 9, 2023
Sponsor
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Collaborators
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05154981
Brief Title
Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School
Official Title
Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School for Children With Autism by Improving Parent-Teacher Communication During the Transition to School
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
October 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
September 15, 2022 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
June 15, 2023 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
August 15, 2023 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Collaborators
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
Partners in School is a collection of implementation strategies (e.g., communication training, problem-solving consultation) to help parents/primary caregivers and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder implement the same practices across home and school.
Detailed Description
A small scale pilot trial of Partners in School with education communication skills (ECS) training will be implemented. Teachers (n=24) will be randomly assigned to receive Partners in School (pre-consultation, consultation, implementation of student intervention, and post- consultation) with ECS (n=12; between pre-consultation and consultation) or without ECS (n=12). Each teacher will work with two parents (n=48), with both conditions having 24 dyads. Pre and post measures will assess mechanisms of change, proximal, and distal outcomes.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Autism Spectrum Disorder

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Participant
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
48 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Partners in School with Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Parents and teachers in the experimental condition will receive Partners in School with communication training.
Arm Title
Partners in School without Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
Parents and teachers in the control condition will receive Partners in School without communication training.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Education communication skills (ECS) training
Intervention Description
Education communication skills (ECS) training videos were developed from LEAPS (Listen, Educate, Assess, Partner and Support), a set of 10- to 20- sec videos that help patients and physicians communicate health concerns and treatment plans to each other. ECS training videos target parent-teacher communication during the transition to school for children with autism.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
Partners in School
Intervention Description
Partners in School is a problem-solving consultation that encourages parents and teachers to implement the same evidence-based interventions across home and school
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS)
Description
The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, "I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover."
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS)
Description
The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, "I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover."
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II)
Description
The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, "I don't like the way this teacher talks to me."
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II)
Description
The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, "I don't like the way this teacher talks to me."
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ)
Description
The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, "My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan." It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ)
Description
The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, "My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan." It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS)
Description
The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, "I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress."
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS)
Description
The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, "I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress."
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Change from Baseline Fidelity (to Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks
Description
Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of intervention steps completed by parents (parent fidelity) and teachers (teacher fidelity) will be computed.
Time Frame
daily for three weeks
Title
Change from Baseline Alignment (of Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks
Description
Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of steps in the student intervention plan completed by both parents and teachers will be used as the measure of continuity.
Time Frame
daily for three weeks
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Frequency and Severity Form (FSF)
Description
Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, "How often does this occur with your child at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, "How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School.
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Frequency and Severity Form (FSF)
Description
Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, "How often does this occur with your child at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, "How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home?" The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School.
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
Description
The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with autism. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills.
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
Description
The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with ASD. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills.
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS)
Description
The home-school notes will assess the child's progress toward his/her pre-determined goal that will be formulated by parents and teachers during the consultation meeting. We will use an adapted goal attainment scaling (GAS), ranging from the situation got significantly worse (-2) to the situation got significantly better (+2).
Time Frame
daily for three weeks
Title
Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS)
Description
The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, "How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs?"
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS)
Description
The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, "How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs?"
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF)
Description
The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, "How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent?" Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School.
Time Frame
baseline
Title
Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF)
Description
The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, "How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent?" Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School.
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Title
Consultant Adherence
Description
The Partners in School objective checklists will be used to evaluate the extent to which the consultant followed the necessary components of the Partners in School protocol. The checklist has separate objectives for the pre-consultation, consultation, and post-consultation. An example objective for the pre-consultation is, "Asked about the frequency of the concern."
Time Frame
at study completion, an average of 10 weeks

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Must be parent/primary caregiver or full-time, lead teacher Must have or teach preschool, pre- kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade child with ASD Must have or teach child with ASD that can see and hear Access to internet via wifi-enabled phone, tablet, or computer Must be English or Spanish speaking An active email - Exclusion Criteria: Parents with younger (less than preschool) or older children (in 2nd grade or above) Teachers who teach older than 1st grade. Teaching assistants
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Gazi Azad, PhD
Organizational Affiliation
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene at the New York State Psychiatric Institute
City
New York
State/Province
New York
ZIP/Postal Code
10032-1007
Country
United States

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No

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Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School

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