Milieu Teaching-AV (MT-AV Pilot)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autism Sibling

Treatments: Behavioral: Milieu Teaching-AV

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06794476

1K99DC021501 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

150878

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project will look at whether a novel approach to language intervention that encourages looking to audiovisual speech cues for infants with autistic older siblings (Baby Sibs), who are highly likely be diagnosed with autism or developmental language disorder (DLD). This study will specifically look at (a) whether caregivers find this approach to be easy to implement in their homes, (b) whether they find this approach to be acceptable, and (c) whether caregivers use the taught strategies in interactions with their infants.

Full description

This project will test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel approach to language intervention based on Milieu Teaching (Milieu Teaching-AV) that encourages looking to audiovisual speech cues for infants with autistic older siblings (Sibs-autism), who are highly likely be diagnosed with autism or developmental language disorder (DLD). The main question[s] it aims to answer are:

1. Can caregivers be trained in Milieu Teaching-AV, such that they are using the trained strategies in play with their infant children?
2. Do caregivers find these procedures to be acceptable and feasible to use in their everyday life.

Enrollment: 8 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• an older sibling with an autism diagnosis, confirmed by either (a) a detailed developmental interview and administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule or (b) by record review
• monolingual English-speaking household

Exclusion criteria

• adverse neurological history
• known genetic condition
• pre-term birth (gestation < 37 weeks)
• caregiver report of a diagnosed vision impairment or hearing loss

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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8 participants in 2 patient groups

Business as usual baseline

No Intervention group

Description:

The first several sessions will be conducted in a business-as-usual baseline condition; these sessions will then be compared to the Milieu Teaching-AV condition. Entry into the Milieu Teaching-AV condition will be staggered across participants to ensure that observed changes are not due to other factors (e.g., history, maturation).

Milieu Teaching-AV

Experimental group

Description:

Following baseline sessions, there will be staggered entry into the experimental condition.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Milieu Teaching-AV