Active clinical trials for "Child Development Disorders, Pervasive"

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disorders that affect communication, social interaction, and behavior. Relatively little is known about the relationship between genetics and behavior among these individuals and their close relatives. Researchers are interested in using interviews and rating scales to better understand these issues, as well as collecting brain scan data and genetic samples for testing and comparison. By comparing test results and genetic samples from healthy volunteers, people with ASD, and parents (or caregivers or legal guardians) of the first two groups, researchers hope to better understand the neuroscience of ASD. Objectives: To learn more about the brain in healthy people and in people with autism spectrum disorders. To study genes that might be involved in autism spectrum disorders by collecting DNA samples from participants. Eligibility: The following groups of participants will be eligible for the study: Individuals between 5 and 89 years of age who have autism spectrum disorders. Healthy volunteers between 5 and 89 years of age. Cognitively impaired children between 5 and 17 years of age. Parents/caregivers/legal guardians of individuals in the above three groups. Design: Participants will visit the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center for research tests, which will be administered over multiple visits. Researchers will determine the specific tests to be administered based on the medical history of the study participant. Researchers will study the brain through interviews, tests of thinking and memory (neuropsychological tests), brain imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetoencephalography (MEG). The study will also collect blood or saliva to obtain a DNA sample.

This study is to investigate the differential and shared neural underpinnings of facial emotion processing within Conduct disorder (CD) and Autism-Spectrum disorder (ASD) and to investigate the interaction between deficits in emotion processing and dysfunctional cognitive control processes. Differences in emotion processing and the underlying neural underpinnings of such differences will be assessed by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) without any contrast agent, combined with adapted emotion processing paradigms and eye tracking techniques.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest growing neurodevelopmental disorder in the world. Approximately 1% of the population worldwide is affected by this disorder. Children with ASD exhibit some very stereo-typical behaviors. Their daily functionality depends on very rigid and predictable schedules and routines. Any changes in their schedules can often trigger negative emotional outbursts. The need to come to the hospital for procedures can be one such trigger. The purpose of this study is to examine the post anesthesia behavior outcomes of children with ASD.

There are many studies in the literature that study the sensory profile of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can essentially have three types of behavior: (1) Registration, (2) Seeking, (3) Sensitivity, and (4) Avoiding. However, there are few studies dedicated to the study of the sensory profile of children with autism. A child's sensory profile is closely related to the way they deal with the world and their social interaction. The existence of tools that allow the study of the behavioral response to the sounds of children with autism spectrum disorder, will allow the application of targeted therapies in the future. Therapies targeted and adjusted to each profile observed in these children will allow to attenuate these maladjusted behavioral responses, or even overcome these deficits, if there is an early and precise intervention.

To determine sufficient number of biological and clinical markers to identify subgroups of potential best responders to a specific medication

This study involves sample collection to identify biomarkers relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) in the saliva of children who are between the ages of 18 months to 6 years and 11 months. Participants will at each timepoint have a non-invasive saliva swab collected and complete a brief demographic and medical history questionnaire as well. Children in the pediatric/provider setting who will receive a referral for an ASD diagnosis because they were determined to have a suspicion of developing ASD will be enrolled in the study. Children will also be enrolled in the specialist evaluation setting where they will receive a DSM-5 diagnosis. A subset of both enrollment cohorts will also be followed up with at a third time point in which their diagnosis will be confirmed, and information about any ongoing treatment will be gathered.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of using a Microskills video training library for training parents of adolescents with ASD in talking with their teens about relationships and sexual health topics. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does using SkillTalk increase parents' skills in communicating with their teens about relationships and sexual health? Does using SkillTalk increase the frequency of conversations about relationships and sexual health? Does using SkillTalk increase parents' confidence in their ability to communicate with their teens about relationships and sexual health? Does using SkillTalk improve teen knowledge, attitudes, and behavior around sexual health and relationships? Participants will be asked to: Take a survey at the beginning of the study, the end of the study, and at 3-month follow up Record a short conversation between the parent and teen dyad about a sexual health topic at the beginning of the study, at the end of the study, and at 3-month follow up. Watch a minimum of 85% of the 60 minutes of video assigned Complete a conversation log at the end of each week during the study period, and once a month during the 3-month follow-up period.

This study is a pragmatic clinical trial examining the comparative effectiveness of two stimulant medications (methylphenidate and amphetamine) in the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents with autism. Using a sequential, multiple assignment randomization trial (SMART) design the study will not only assess these two medications but also the role of an increasingly popular class of ADHD medication, the alpha-2 agonists. Findings from this study will help improve clinicians' approach to medication selection and reduce the repeated trials of multiple medications that are current standard care.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week mobile app-based intervention in empowering and supporting Chinese parents of ASD children through knowledge and skills transfer and mindfulness training, to explore factors associated with enhanced user experiences and sustained usage through participants' qualitative feedback and observing naturalistic usage patterns beyond the active intervention period, and to refine the mobile app based on the data prior to wider dissemination of the app. We hypothesise that there will be a greater reduction in parental stress and mood symptoms, and improvement of mindfulness attitude and parenting competence in parents with ASD children after the 6-week app-based intervention than the waitlist controls.

For several years, studies have been developed on the contribution of social robots as a tool for interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One of the recommended intervention models is the ESDM (Early Start Denver Model). It consists of setting up an individualized, intensive program (at least 20 hours per week) through the pleasure of play. The teacher follows the motivation and interests of the child, and it is the child who chooses the activities. Studies published in recent years tend to show that robots bring benefits to ASD children, particularly in the treatment of social interactions and in clinical settings. However, there is no scientific consensus on the generalized contribution and effect over time of these interventions. Moreover, a robotic solution controlled by a practitioner through a telepresence system allows for a better adaptability to the responses and desires of the children during the interventions. The investigators believe that such a solution would allow for better assessment of progress in the core skills of expressive communication and imitation and greater engagement during interventions.