How Simplified Language Affects Comprehension and Learning in Young Autistic Children (PALS)

Michigan State University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Linguistic simplification

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05707923

4584124

R01DC020165 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The long-term study goal is to experimentally evaluate the components (and likely active ingredients) of early language interventions for young children with ASD. The overall objective is to determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects real-time language processing and word learning in young children with ASD (relative to full, grammatical utterances). The proposed project will investigate three specific aims: 1) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects language processing. 2) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects word learning. 3) Evaluate child characteristics that may moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that children with ASD will process full, grammatical utterances faster and more accurately than single-word or telegraphic utterances. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that full, grammatical utterances will support word learning better than telegraphic or single-word utterances. Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that language and cognitive skills significantly moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning in young children with ASD.

Enrollment: 104 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 1 to 4 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Existing or suspected autism spectrum disorder, confirmed through ADOS-2
• English as primary language
• 1-4 years old

Exclusion criteria

• Known genetic condition (e.g., Down syndrome, fragile X)
• Cerebral palsy
• Acquired brain injury
• Uncorrected vision or hearing impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

104 participants in 1 patient group

Utterance Type

Experimental group

Description:

This study uses a within-participant experimental manipulation. All participants will be exposed to all utterance types (across trials).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Linguistic simplification