Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Yale University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: Infant Toddler Years PRT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01691066

R03MH092617 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

1110009256

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the utility of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a behaviorally derived intervention, to improve the quality and frequency of communication and social engagement of toddlers with siblings who have an autism spectrum disorder (SIBS - ASD) and who demonstrate developmental delays and impairments in social interaction between 12 and 15 months of age.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 15 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• toddlers, age 12 - 15 months, who have an older sibling with ASD
• delays of at least 1.5 standard deviations in communication (receptive/expressive language) based on developmental testing
• scores that exceed the ASD cutoff on standardized measures of social-communicative behavior

Exclusion criteria

• physical or neurological disorder (e.g., seizures, cerebral palsy)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

30 participants in 2 patient groups

Infant Toddler Years PRT

Experimental group

Description:

Infant Toddler PRT in an evidence-based, manualized treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder that involves specific motivational behavioral procedures adapted to be developmentally appropriate for 12-15 month old infants who present with developmental delays.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Infant Toddler Years PRT

Community Treatment

No Intervention group

Description:

Community Treatment includes the treatments offered by early intervention services (e.g., speech-language therapy, special education instruction).