Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

This randomised-controlled trial will assess the effect of an early intervention on the social-communicative abilities and brain activity of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The children´s social-communicative abilities and the related brain activity will be evaluated at three time points: before the start of the intervention (pre-intervention), immediately after its conclusion (post-intervention) and several weeks after its conclusion (follow-up).

Despite the psychosocial difficulties common among young adults with autism spectrum disorders(ASD), little to no evidence-based social skills interventions exist for this population. Using a randomized controlled trial(RCT) design, the current study tested the effectiveness of an evidence-based, caregiver-assisted social skills intervention known as PEERS for Young Adults with high-functioning young adults with ASD using self- and caregiver-report measures.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit characteristic deficits in social initiation and there are no empirically validated treatments specifically for this core deficit. While parent training is known to be a critical intervention component, few social skills programs involve parents. This study will capitalize on an existing social skills group already established at the community agency Abilities United, with the goal of enhancing the program's effectiveness by adding a parent component. Specifically, the proposed study will investigate whether a novel parent mediated social skills program (Social SUCCESS), which provides parent training in conjunction with a social skills group intervention, will result in more frequent initiations during play with typically developing peers. Participants will include 50 children with ASD age 4:0 to 6:11 years. Children will be randomly assigned to either Social SUCCESS (N=25) or waiting list (N=25). Treatment will be provided for 8 weeks during a weekly 120-minute social skills group at Abilities United. The study will evaluate the effects of Social SUCCESS on areas of core social deficit including frequency of peer initiations using parent ratings, observational measures, standardized questionnaires, and a social eye tracking task. Outcomes will be compared to a waiting list control group. Findings will be disseminated through presentations and publications to aid clinicians in providing more effective social skills treatment for children with ASD and to enhance the scientific knowledge-base related to evidence-based social skills treatments. This research designed with the goal of stimulating additional scientific inquiry in the area of treatment for core social deficits in ASD and will provide a strong foundation for larger scale grants to study motivation-based interventions to improve social functioning.

The purpose of this Phase 1 study is to determine the safety of one, two, and three intravenous infusions of human umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hCT-MSC), administered every two months, in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The Social ABCs is an evidence-based, developmentally informed, caregiver-mediated behavioural intervention for toddlers with suspected or confirmed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is based on principles of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT, grounded in Applied Behaviour Analysis), and responsive parenting. The two key targets of this program are functional verbal communication and positive caregiver-child affect sharing. This intervention takes place in the context of play and daily routines, and in all contexts is made to be fun, natural and motivating for the child. In both a pilot study and a recently completed randomized control trial, toddlers whose caregivers received training in the Social ABCs intervention showed significant gains in early language development (both responsivity and initiations), increased child smiling (mediated by parent smiling), and a trend toward increased social orienting (one important manifestation of social attention). Despite the social-communication benefits demonstrated through the Social ABCs, the research team is also motivated to foster the attentional abilities of toddlers with emerging ASD in response to compelling evidence that early attentional control abilities may play a central role in the emergence of ASD. Based on this knowledge, the current study targets not only social-communication challenges and affect sharing (as per the existing Social ABCs intervention), but also attentional control in toddlers with suspected or confirmed ASD. Using a structured, computerized attention-training protocol, this RCT evaluates the impact of supplementing the standard Social ABCs intervention with pre-intervention attentional control training.

Individuals with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently experience obsessions and/or compulsions that are similar to those specified in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) criteria for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little research exists on effective interventions for OCD symptoms (referred to as OCBs) in ASD. In a randomized controlled trial, a manualized functional behavior-based cognitive-behavior therapy (Fb-CBT) consisting of traditional CBT components (psychoeducation and mapping, cognitive-behavioral skills training, exposure, and response prevention) as well as function-based behavioral assessment will be evaluated. Participants will be assigned randomly to Fb-CBT or treatment as usual (TAU). Primary and secondary outcome measures will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment, and will be administered at pre and post-intervention as well as six month follow-up.

Play skills and participation of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been restricted by their core symptoms, resulting in heightened parenting stress and affected family daily life. This research aims to improve play skills and participation of children with ASD through 'family-centered occupational therapy', thereby leading to positive outcome for not only the child but also the whole family.

The aim of the research project is to conduct evidence-based research on a nationally known vocational rehabilitation (VR) service model (Project Search) for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This information may be useful to high schools and vocational rehabilitation agencies that endeavor to use evidence based practices to serve individuals with ASD.

Overview The goal of Comprehensive Communication Intervention for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism is to conduct an efficacy study of a promising intervention to increase spoken language in preschool children who are minimally verbal. The proposed study compares a comprehensive communication intervention (JASP- EMT Plus; JEP) to a business as usual (BAU) control group in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 4 time points. The study replicates and extends procedures used by Kasari, Kaiser et al (2014) to successfully promote social communication in older minimally verbal children. Intervention components include: (1) Joint Attention, Structured Play, Engagement and Regulation and Enhanced Milieu Teaching (JASP- EMT), (2) applied with systematic parent training, (3) use of speech generating device (SGD) and (4) supplementary direct teaching of foundational skills for language learning as indicated by child entry skills (CORE-DTT; Smith, 2009). Children who remain minimally verbal beyond age 5 are at high risk for persistent, severe communication deficits that impact social development, educational achievement and quality of life (Tager-Flusberg & Kasari, 2013). Thus, there is an urgent need for effective strategies to promote communication development during the preschool years to ameliorate early communication deficits and prevent persistent minimally verbal status. This study aims to change social communication in minimally verbal preschool children with ASD by applying a naturalistic social communication intervention which teaches the social foundations of communication and functional use of verbal language in play and interaction. In addition, the intervention addresses three factors that may contribute to remaining minimally verbal: lack of an effective mode of speech production, lack of foundational skills for learning language (receptive language, imitation, joint attention), and lack of communication partners to support continued language learning in natural environments.

Under double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over conditions, the short-term effects of use of A1 beta casein free milk (a2 milk) and milk containing A1 beta casein will be compared in a sample of pre-pubescent boys diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with concurrent features of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).