Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

This is a research study examining the effectiveness of a pivotal response treatment package (PRT-P) in targeting language skills in young children with autism.

The objectives of this study are to 1) demonstrate the effectiveness of the innovative bicycle training program in teaching youth with DS and ASD how to ride a standard two wheel bike, and 2) determine the effects of the treatment on health related performance measures, physical activity level, patterns of sleep behavior, psychosocial outcomes, and community participation. The hypotheses to be tested in this study are: 1) there will be a significant treatment group difference (EXP vs CON) in the number of participants who demonstrate the ability to ride a two wheel bicycle in favor of the EXP group following the first year of training. 2) At the end of the second year of training when the CON group receives the bicycle training program, there will not be a group difference in the number of riders who learned to ride. 3) At the end of the first year, there will be a significant treatment group difference (EXP vs CON) on the health related performance measures, average time spent in moderate and moderate to vigorous physical activity, patterns of sleep behavior (sleep onset, frequency of night waking), self and parent perceptions of bicycle riding ability, and community participation (number of community activities engaged in, frequency of community participation, number of people they participate with outside of the parents, the number of community locations in which they participate), in favor of the EXP group. 4) At the end of the second and third year, the CON group will demonstrate a significant improvement in all of these measures (a significant improvement from the pre-training measures to the 12 and 24 month measures). 5) At the end of the third year, the EXP group will demonstrate a significant group difference on all measures compared to the CON group but the magnitude of the difference will be less than was observed in hypothesis 3 at the 12 month measurement before the CON group received their training. These hypotheses will be tested separately for the DS and ASD groups.

Autism spectrum disorders affect as many as 1 out of 88 children and are related to significant impairment in social, adaptive, and school functioning. Co-occurring conditions, such as anxiety, are common and may cause substantial distress and impairment beyond that caused by the autism diagnosis. Accordingly, we are proposing a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy relative to treatment as usual (TAU) in 50 youth ages 6-12 with autism spectrum disorders and comorbid anxiety.

This 3-year study is a trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with or without oxytocin (OT) augmentation, in young adults with autism spectrum disorders. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either a social skills-focused CBT intervention or a stress management/relaxation training CBT intervention. Participants will also be randomized to receive either a) intranasal oxytocin or b) a placebo drug, prior to the psychotherapy. The design of the study will enable examination of the efficacy of CBT for young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The design of the study will also allow examination of whether oxytocin enhances the efficacy of CBT. The investigators will perform functional (fMRI) and structural (MRI) imaging with all participants prior to treatment. This will enable examination of the relations between measures of brain function and structure, and improvements in target symptoms over the course of treatment. The aim is to discover whether there are neural characteristics that can identify which participants with autism spectrum disorders are most likely to respond to CBT interventions and/or oxytocin treatment.

This study is a large, multi-site, randomized controlled NIH trial that evaluates whether The P.L.A.Y. (Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters) Project is effective. The PLAY Project Home Consultation model coaches parents, through monthly home visits and the use of video feedback, to effectively interact with their young child with autism. The aims of the study are 1.) to show that the PLAY Home Consultants show fidelity to the model, 2.) that caregivers can be taught to interact in an engaging way with their child (with causing more stress), 3.) that the child then interacts better, improves his/her language, and has reduced severity of his or her autism.

The proposed study will result in a software application compatible with the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (hereafter termed "iOS devices") which addresses several aspects of prosodic deficits common in speakers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and other communication disorders, using a developmentally appropriate, intuitive interface that requires little technical skill and which can be managed by educators and parents. The program will contain elements that aid in tracking and maintaining individual student progress records, and will be designed for use in the classroom, at home, and in other environments. This study's intended focus is on the feasibility and usability of the software application.

The purpose of this study is to examine the use of, and reaction to, one particular software application(GroundsKeeper) delivered on unique platform - Sifteo cubes (www.sifteo.com). The hypothesis is that the use of these devices will increase engagement, motivation, interest, and have perceived benefits to users with unique attention-limiting cognitive disabilities. How does the observation of and user feedback from gameplay reveal areas of improvement for the game, strengths, and perceptions of value among the players and adults?

There is substantial evidence from animal model and healthy control data, that oxytocin is involved in the modulation of social cognition. In addition, recent genetics and plasma level studies suggest a possible role for oxytocin in the pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). As a large number of children with ASD are transitioning into adulthood and will likely require treatment, the lack of data to make meaningful treatment recommendations to facilitate adult living is an urgent issue. This study will examine the effect of intranasal oxytocin (IN-OXT) on social function in adults with ASD. It is hypothesized that IN-OXT will be superior to placebo in improving social function by the end of study treatment.

The study is a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) relative to a standard community treatment, in youngsters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The individual CBT program has been tailored over the last five years to the clinical needs of high-functioning youth with ASD.

This study will examine the efficacy of a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) program for children with anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.