Active clinical trials for "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

In this randomized control study, investigators will evaluate the effectiveness of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) matrix behavioral protocol compared to Parent Training (PT) programs in improving the psychological well-being of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Twelve parents will be randomly and equitably assigned to two matched groups in which individuals will undergo 24 weekly ACT (experimental group) or conventional PT (control group) protocol meetings

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-behavioral disorder associated with repetitive movements. The role of physical therapist towards an autistic child is most neglected one. Therefore, the objective of this study was to see the effectiveness of different ball exercise on stereotypic behavior of children with ASD. Different ball exercises were implemented for 2 months, 3 sessions per week and every session consist of 35 minutes.

The health system is ill-equipped to meet the needs of autistic adults. The Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE), an academic-community partnership comprised of academics, autistic adults, healthcare providers, and supporters, has used a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach to develop and test an online healthcare toolkit aimed at improving primary care services for autistic adults. It was specifically designed as a low-intensity, sustainable intervention that can realistically be used in busy primary care practices that do not have a special focus on autism or other developmental disabilities. The toolkit includes the Autism Healthcare Accommodations Tool (AHAT)--an automated tool which allows patients and/or their supporters to create a personalized accommodations report for their primary care provider (PCP)--and other targeted resources, worksheets, checklists, and information. The investigators' pilot work has demonstrated that the AHAT has strong construct validity and test-retest stability, the toolkit is highly acceptable and accessible, and it has the potential to decrease barriers to care and increase patient-provider communication. The investigators' long-term plan is to conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial, using a cluster randomized trial design, both to test the effectiveness of the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit in improving healthcare quality and utilization and to assess the utility of implementation strategies in diverse healthcare systems. The objective of this proposal is to use a CBPR approach to understand how to integrate the toolkit into these health systems, collect more robust efficacy data, and explore potential mechanisms of action. The investigators will do so by conducting a 6-month pilot study with patients assigned to intervention and control clinics in three diverse health systems. The investigators will meet our objectives by achieving the following specific aims: 1) to determine how to integrate use of the toolkit within diverse health systems; 2) to test the effect of the toolkit on short-term healthcare outcomes; 3) to use a mixed-methods approach to further explore the toolkit's mechanisms of action; and 4) to refine the recruitment, retention, data collection, and system integration strategies in preparation for the larger cluster-randomized trial.

The goal of this project is to develop and test e-Unstuck, an e-learning intervention that (1) provides advanced training to parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Disability (ASDwoID) on how to implement the evidence-based Unstuck and On Target (UOT) curriculum at home and (2) is built on 3C's proprietary, state-of-the-art, Dynamic e-Learning Platform, an established platform with high ratings of quality, value, usability, and feasibility from end users. As a result of the pilot efficacy test, the investigators hypothesize that (1) parents who interact with the e-Unstuck software will report greater knowledge and use of UOT principles, less parenting stress and greater parenting sense of competence, and improved child executive function (EF) and social skills compared to control parents, (2) parents who spend more time engaged with the intervention will show greater improvements in outcome variables, and (3) parents who interact with the e-Unstuck software will find the software to be of high quality, value, usability, and feasibility.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of the Sound To Sleep System™ in improving the sleep quality of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Sound To Sleep System™ is a mattress foundation designed to improve sleep quality in individuals with ASD and sleep disturbance by providing mattress vibrations that accompany and sync with auditory stimulation. For the present study, the primary objectives are as follows: * Study Aim 1 - To determine whether the use of the Sound To Sleep System™ in ASD-affected children with sleep disturbances is well tolerated as defined by group drop-out proportion due to issues with the mattress technology. The study will also explore the following objectives: Study Aim 2 - To determine the efficacy of the Sound To Sleep System™ in improving sleep quality as measured by parent reported sleep quality in ASD-affected children with sleep disturbances. (Please note Study Aim 2 was changed from clinician-rated to parent-rated because we were not able to collect clinician-rated sleep quality information). Study Aim 3 - To determine the tolerability of the Sound To Sleep System™ as defined by study drop-out due to any reason and caregiver ratings of ease of mattress technology use. Study Aim 4 - To determine whether use of the mattress technology improves functioning as defined by secondary outcome measures.

The SaLSA (Screening and Linkage to Services for Autism) study will test whether patient navigation can help disadvantaged families obtain earlier diagnosis and treatment for their children who have had a positive screening test for autism spectrum disorder. Half of the families will be offered help from an autism patient navigator. The other half will receive standard care.

This project will implement and evaluate an innovative healthcare service delivery model designed to promote earlier access to specialized intervention for toddlers with ASD. The Screen-Refer-Treat (SRT) model provides a coordinated and cost-effective approach to early identification and intervention by involving both medical and EI providers, and represents a practical and sustainable strategy for bridging the gap between ASD concerns and ASD intervention.

Young adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without co-occurring intellectual impairment face a fairly unique set of challenges as they transition out of secondary school. These students are often quite capable of succeeding in higher education and many of them have interest in pursuing advanced degrees, but the nature of their disability and associated deficits (e.g., poor time management and poor self-regulation) may impede success. Individualized, appropriately timed, and developmentally sensitive transition and support services may promote optimal outcomes for these young people. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive program to promote successful transition of students with ASD from high school to post-secondary education.

The investigators are evaluating the implementation and the effectiveness of a medical student staffed support program (ASAP) for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder coming into Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital for a medical procedure. The ASAP program involves training and assigning a medical student as an Ambassador to help advocate for the special needs of a child with ASD. This study is designed to compare patient satisfaction of children and families who are assigned an Ambassador to those who are not assigned an Ambassador during the procedure. The secondary objectives are to measure overall medical student satisfaction with the program, medical student career interests before and after participation, and medical student comfort level interacting with children with ASD before and after participation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a 12 week telehealth intervention for families of children with autism spectrum disorders under the age of 6 years on child participation and parent efficacy.