Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

We aim to study the efficacy of Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in children with ASD.

The clinical study evaluates in an open-label, crossover design the comparative efficacy and safety of intranasal oxytocin and autologous umbilical cord blood for improving the functioning of children with autistic spectrum disorder

The purpose of this study is to learn about occupational therapy for youth with autism in a traditional clinic environment, and in an equine environment. 20 youth with autism will participate in 10 weeks of occupational therapy in a clinic environment, followed by 10 weeks of occupational therapy in an equine environment. Caregivers will complete online surveys about their child's behavior. Occupational therapists and other stakeholders will provide feedback about the interventions. The therapy sessions that involve horses will be videotaped, and a researcher will look at the behaviors of the horses involved in the intervention. We will use the results of this study to improve the quality of both interventions.

There is no current research to support the efficacy of a combination of equine-assisted activities (EAA) and brain building activities to influence motor skill competencies in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders (ND). The primary objective of this study was to quantify changes in motor skill proficiency before and after 8 weeks of EAA and brain-building activities in youth with ND. A secondary objective was to quantify changes in motor skill proficiency before and after 1 year of EAA and brain-building activities in youth with ND.

This study is being conducted to look at whether a group programme designed for parents of children with a diagnosis of Autism is effective. The programme is called The START Programme ©- as it aims to provide a Supportive and Therapeutic environment to help parents gain Acceptance and reach Resolution so that they can Take action to live more consistently with their values. The programme was developed by two psychologists in Longford/Westmeath, Ireland, Dr. Michelle Howard and Kara McDermott in 2013, because they identified a lack of therapeutic support for such parents. The programme draws on research and theory from a branch of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as some other psychological techniques. Individuals who agree to participate in the research will be assigned at random to the intervention or to a treatment as usual control condition. They will be asked to fill out 4 questionnaires, on 3 different occasions, with a 7 week gap between the first time and second time, and a 3 month gap between the second and third time.

This proposal will acquire preliminary data on the feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative and scalable strategy for improving access to effective sleep health care for preschool-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The investigators will develop and test an on-line delivery adaptation of the existing behavioral sleep interventions for preschool aged children.

This study, Physical Exercise and Contributors to Academic Performance among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), aims to expand our understanding of the impact of regular physical exercise on improvement in academic performance. The investigators will focus on the use of affordable, portable, and achievable interventions that can be easily shared and incorporated into other academic and home settings. The study will examine the use a regular vigorous exercise program for helping students with ASD reduce body mass index and improve executive function, motor performance, sensory responsiveness, and mood. The investigators propose a collaborative arrangement with an area school to conduct an 18-month exploratory pilot study of 30 middle- and high-school aged students (12 to 18 years old) with ASD, who are returning participants or are new to participating in the Fit Club at Gateway Academy. The investigators expect that the changes elicited by participation in this type of exercise program will support the formation of adult life skills, impacting on long-term quality of life for individuals with ASD and children with other conditions.

The purpose of this study is to explore the acceptability and effects of internet-based approaches for helping parents learn early intervention strategies (e.g., methods or tips for improving a child's behavior and development). As part of this study, families will be randomly(selected by chance like the flip of a coin) assigned to one of two different formats of an interactive telehealth program called Mirror Me. One format families complete on their own, the other involves the option to meet with a parent coach over the internet for feedback. The goal of the study is to understand how parents/caregivers and children benefit from using online programs, and to identify barriers (blocks) and facilitators (helpers) to this kind of service delivery model.

The purpose of this study is to test a novel, three-part cognitive behavioral treatment strategy to improve social functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder. The treatment, named TUNE In (Training to Understand and Navigate Emotions and Interactions), includes components to address the many behavioral domains involved in social functioning, including social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, social skills, and generalization of the skills to community settings. The Investigators will test the efficacy of TUNE In to improve social functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using a randomized controlled trial using the SRS-2 as the primary outcome measure.

Purpose. The goals of the study are to assess the safety of the intravenous infusion of umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells in patients with autism and to confirm changes in social/ communicative skills and cognitive functioning after four infusions of ABO/Rh-matched UCB stem cells. Material and methods. The sample comprises 30 patients (27 males, 3 females) aged between 3 and 11 years with ASD under the care of the National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology (Saint-Petersburg, Russia). Participants are randomly assigned to either the control group (14 males, 1 female) or the experimental group (13 males, 2 females). The experimental group receives intravenous injections of UCB cells four times with a two-week gap between injections. The control group receives standard therapy. The dynamic of cognitive functions and social/communicative skills assess with Checklist for autism spectrum disorders (CASD), Autism treatment evaluation checklist (ATEC), subscales of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) - "Digit Span", "Picture completion", "Block design", "Coding".