Communication Intervention for Toddlers With Autism (J-EMT)

An Efficacy Trail of Enhanced Milieu Teaching Language Intervention Plus Joint Attention, Engagement, Regulation Intervention for Toddlers With Autism

The goal of this study is to conduct an efficacy trial to determine whether an early communication intervention which blends two evidence-based interventions, Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) and Joint Attention, Symbolic Play and Regulation Intervention (JASPER), improves social communication in toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: J-EMT for Toddlers with Autism

Detailed Description

This study tests the blended intervention (J-EMT) in a parent-plus-therapist-implementation model that has been demonstrated to be effective with other populations.

The J-EMT communication intervention is tailored to the specific social communication characteristics of children with ASD and is delivered during a critical period in early communication development for these children.

In this study, the investigators compare this blended intervention (J-EMT) to a business as usual (BAU) comparison group. Children assigned to the J-EMT group will receive a total of 48, 1-hour direct intervention sessions over six months that will include teaching their parents to implement J-EMT procedures across daily activities.

The investigators will examine social communication and child vocalizations, expressive and receptive language, symbolic play, and symbol-infused joint engagement to determine whether J-EMT changes both a primary functional outcome and the underlying specific skills that contribute to effective social communication in children with ASD.

Results from this study will indicate the efficacy of this variation of parent-plus-therapist-implemented EMT (i.e., J-EMT) specifically tailored to the characteristics of young children with ASD.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Evanston, Illinois, United States, 60208
      • Northwestern University
  • Tennessee
    • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37203
      • Vanderbilt University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 2 years to 3 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between 24 and 36 months of age
• A diagnosis of ASD as confirmed by the ADOS-2 (module 1)
• Signed informed consent
• Parent willing to be trained

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other diagnosis or disability
• Abnormal hearing and/or vision
• Language other than English is the primary language spoken at home

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Business as Usual Control Group; All children, regardless of group assignment will participate in all assessments. Children randomized to the control group will not receive intervention, but will complete all other research procedures. Other treatments that all children receive in the community will be recorded with bi-monthly surveys.
Experimental: J-EMT for Toddlers with Autism; The J-EMT intervention:(a) teach foundational social communicative behaviors, (b) teach related skills that predict long term language outcomes, (c) teach a range of communicative functions, (d) target specific spoken language skills as well as foundational skills, (e) incorporate instructional methods, contexts, and partners that increase social use of language in natural contexts, and (f) promote generalization and maintenance of newly learned skills to everyday activities and routines. In addition, because parents are essential partners for young children with ASD who are learning to communicate, studies are needed that (g) include parents and (h) specify the method and fidelity of parent instruction and fidelity and dosage with which parents use the trained strategies	Behavioral: J-EMT for Toddlers with Autism; Children assigned to the J-EMT group will receive a total of 48, 1-hour direct intervention sessions over six months that will include teaching their parents to implement J-EMT procedures across daily activities.; Other Names: Communication Intervention for Toddlers with Autism

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Number of spontaneous social communication attempts made as assessed by a 20 minute lanugage sample.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Vanderbilt University
• Collaborators: Northwestern University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 2, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): November 3, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 6, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 5, 2020
• Last Verified: October 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: R324A150094

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED