Evaluating an Online Adjunctive Support Following Intensive Services (OASIS) Strategy for Youth With Selective Mutism

Florida International University (FIU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Selective Mutism

Treatments: Behavioral: Remote Intensive Group Behavioral Treatment (IGBT); Behavioral: Remote Caregiver Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04291638

20-0010

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study sought to evaluate an innovative post-acute continuation/transition planning treatment strategy that leveraged an in-person intensive treatment followed by online, videoconferencing-based "booster" sessions for youth with selective mutism (SM). Twenty children between the ages of 4 and 10 and their caregivers were scheduled to participate in an in-person intensive group behavioral treatment (IGBT) for SM and subsequently randomized to receive either (a) six, biweekly, hour-long, videoconferencing-delivered booster sessions or (b) no additional treatment for 12 weeks. Due to COVID-19-related physical distancing restrictions, the study team was unable to provide in-person services. Thus, the clinical trial was converted to an open-trial design focused on evaluating remote treatment options (i.e., remotely delivered caregiver training sessions and/or a remotely delivered IGBT) for these families. All families retained in the study have or will participate(d) in assessments at the following time points: Intake (i.e., 4-5 months prior to the remote IGBT); Baseline (i.e., 1 month prior to the IGBT), Post-IGBT (i.e., 2 weeks following the IGBT), and School Year Follow Up (i.e., 16 weeks following the IGBT).

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 4 to 10 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Child between the ages of 4-10 years, and his or her caregiver(s)
• Child meets DSM-5 criteria for selective mutism diagnosis
• Child speaks English fluently

Exclusion criteria

• Child is identified as having any psychiatric condition significantly more impairing than selective mutism that requires alternate treatment
• The child is nonverbal with all caregivers

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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11 participants in 2 patient groups

Remote Caregiver Training

Experimental group

Description:

The Remote Caregiver Training arm consists of participation in a 5-hour, videoconferencing-based caregiver training program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Remote Caregiver Training

Remote Caregiver Training + Intensive Treatment

Experimental group

Description:

The Remote Caregiver Training + Intensive Treatment arm consists of participation in a 5-hour, videoconferencing-based caregiving training program, followed by participation in the videoconferencing-based intensive group behavioral treatment program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Remote Intensive Group Behavioral Treatment (IGBT)

Behavioral: Remote Caregiver Training