Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training (EMIT)

Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05849376

Pro2022001609

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goals of this project are to (a) incorporate empirical findings on imitation training and learning in autistic children into a comprehensive protocol for Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners designed to rapidly facilitate generalized imitation called Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training (EMIT), and (b) collect pilot data on the efficacy of EMIT with a small sample of autistic children. EMIT will incorporate several features that are grounded in prior research including: (a) evidence-based procedures for establishing trained matching relations (a pre-requisite to generalized imitation), (b) concurrent training of different response types (e.g., motor imitation, object imitation, vocal imitation) to address restricted generalization, (c) multiple manipulative object imitation training, (d) evidence-based procedures for remediating slow acquisition, and (e) frequent tests for the emergence of generalized imitation. EMIT will be the first protocol designed for clinical use that reflects research findings on imitation learning spanning almost five decades.

Full description

Using findings from prior research, the investigators will design a manualized training protocol (EMIT) for establishing generalized imitation in autistic children that supervised behavior therapists can implement with a high degree of fidelity. The EMIT protocol will serve as a guide for behavior therapists to help them deliver high-quality, empirically derived imitation training to autistic children. The investigators will conduct a small pilot study to evaluate the effects of EMIT on the emergence of generalized imitation with young autistic children. Single-case experimental design will be used. A multiple baseline across participants design is a single-case design that is common in imitation research with this population. In short, the start of the intervention is stagged across participants to systematically assess the effects of the intervention on each participant's behavior. In this experiment, confirmation that EMIT is responsible for any observed effects will be obtained when changes in each participant's behavior (i.e., correct imitation of novel responses) occur when, and only when, the intervention is introduced.

Enrollment: 25 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 months to 6 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
• Age 5 or under
• Maximum score of 40 on Motor Vocal Imitation Assessment
• Demonstrates identity matching above chance levels

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of intellectual disability
• Diagnosis of certain conditions that impact motor function (e.g., cerebral palsy)
• Visual impairment
• Hearing impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 1 patient group

EMIT Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive the EMIT intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training