Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of diphenhydramine on sleep in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Diphenhydramine is an anti-histaminergic agent with strong hypnotic properties. To accomplish this, the investigators will use a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover 8-week study design to examine the effect of diphenhydramine on sleep physiology as assessed by polysomnography (PSG), actigraphy, circadian rhythm, and clinical measures.

This study is aiming to see if it is feasible for the intervention Work Chat to be delivered in a completely online setting to adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most frequently occurring childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders affecting 1 in every 54 children. Most children with ASD experience challenges participating in daily activities (e.g.: eating, sleeping, bathing, grooming, playing, etc.) and receive occupational therapy intervention to address these. The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted in-person therapy for many of these children and there is an urgent need for evidence-based, validated telehealth intervention. This project will adapt an evidence-based occupational therapy intervention, termed OT4ASD to a telehealth delivery model. The aims of the project are to: 1) adapt the existing intervention protocol to a telehealth delivery model, 2) train therapists and evaluate the therapist's ability to conduct OT4ASD, 3) determine if OT4ASD delivered via the telehealth is acceptable and feasible to parents and interventionists; and 4) whether children improve in the daily living skills. OT4ASD follows a systematic protocol and uses active, individually-tailored sensory motor activities that are specifically designed to address the child's needs. The investigators believe this will be the first telehealth manualized protocol to address the sensory motor symptoms of ASD and measure outcomes at the daily life activity and participation levels.

This study will involve the development, distribution, and evaluation of "period kits" for pre-menarchal adolescents with intellectual and cognitive disabilities (IDD) (e.g., autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome) in relieving stress and augmenting sense of preparedness regarding imminent pubertal changes.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of zolpidem on sleep in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine GABAa receptor agonist drug that acts as a hypnotic. To accomplish this, the investigators will use a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover 8-week study design to examine the effect of zolpidem on sleep physiology as assessed by polysomnography (PSG), actigraphy, circadian rhythm, and clinical measures.

This study evaluates the effect of using the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale (APERS) as the foundation for providing feedback, in-service training and coaching to teachers, to improve program quality for autistic (ASD) students and students with related social-communication challenges (SCC) in Swedish primary school classrooms. In the current study half of the participating classrooms will receive the APERS-based model for program quality improvement, while the other half will receive services as usual. It is hypothesized that the APERS-based model will improve primary school program quality for children with ASD and SCC, as well as improve functioning for students with ASD/SCC and self-perceived self-efficacy among participating teachers, compared to the study's comparison group.

Autism diagnostic referrals across the UK have doubled within the last five years. Covid-19 has further delayed diagnostic pathways, while innovation has not kept pace in assisting clinical teams with low cost, fast, and unobtrusive pathways to shorten waiting times for families of children with possible Autism. Sensor-based technology offers a potentially cheap, small-scale, and unobtrusive way of collecting data while children interact seamlessly with smart play objects and toys that allows a clear comparison with neuro-typical groups or children.The present exploratory group intervention (intervention, interview, focus group, and questionnaire) will map out and investigate clinical interaction through the use of "Tangiball"-a new low-cost smart toy that is highly reliable and sensitive-that has the potential to significantly reduce the timing of the diagnostic process in young children with possible Autism. The "Tangiball" records user speed and accuracy of movement, which aligns with variability between neuro-typical children and children with Autism, but is it an acceptable clinical tool for diagnostics and play?

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a post-diagnostic psychoeducational intervention in increasing the sense of self-efficacy of adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder-Without associated Intellectual Disability

Research on the involvement of the cerebellum in social understanding behavior and the mentalizing brain system has just begun. Knowledge about the neurobiology of social understanding is important for understanding the ways to manipulate these processes. Like cerebral tDCS, cerebellar tDCS could then be used to enhance more complex processes, such as mentalizing, in healthy individuals. It can eventually also be examined as a therapeutic tool for patients with mentalizing difficulties such as patients with ASD. In this study, it is examined whether anodal tDCS at the right posterior cerebellum influences social understanding and which cerebro-cerebellar networks play a role in this process.

The primary objective of this study is to undertake a longitudinal investigation of the impact of sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances on cognitive and behavioural trajectories in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) age 3-10 years old. This innovative study will use objective quantifiable measures of sleep and circadian rhythms in addition to subjective measures. The investigators aim to assess the hypotheses that, in pre-pubertal children with ASD, sleep disturbances are correlated with circadian rhythm disturbances; both sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are negatively correlated with cognitive performance and positively correlated with behavioural disturbances; sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances, most notably abnormal melatonin secretion, impact the cognitive and behavioural development of children with ASD, depending on age (prospective longitudinal analyses).