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Joint Attention Intervention and Young Children With Autism

This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Collaborator:
Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Information provided by:
Oslo University Hospital
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT00378157
First received: September 18, 2006
Last updated: February 21, 2011
Last verified: February 2011
History of Changes
  Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention aimed to increase joint attention in 2-4 year old children with autism. The study will be conducted in mainstream preschools in Norway. The intervention will be implemented by preschool teachers and paraprofessionals supervised by trained counselors.


Condition Intervention Phase
Autism
 Behavioral: Joint attention intervention
 Phase 1
Phase 2

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Effectiveness of Joint Attention Intervention in Young Children With Autism - a Randomized Study

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Autism
U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Oslo University Hospital:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • childrens score on measures of joint attention [ Time Frame: pre, post, follow up 6 months and 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • score on measures of joint engagement -child and mother [ Time Frame: pre, post, follow up 6 months and 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • childrens score on measures of language [ Time Frame: pre and follow up 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • parents and service providers perception of the intervention [ Time Frame: post, follow up 6 months and 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Enrollment: 61
Study Start Date: September 2006
Study Completion Date: January 2010
Primary Completion Date: December 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Intervention Details:
    Behavioral: Joint attention intervention
    Eight weeks with two daily sessions (20 minutes) with joint attention intervention in the pre-school.
Detailed Description:

Young children with autism experience severe deficit in joint attention skills (e.g. pointing to objects, showing, following another person's gaze, responding to invitations to social interaction). Ability to initiate and respond to joint attention is linked to children's later language abilities. As a mean to improve language outcome in children with autism, it is important to target joint attention in early intervention programs.

This study investigates the effectiveness of a joint attention intervention. Sixty 2-4 year old children with autism will be randomized to an intervention group or a control group. Children in both groups will continue their ordinary preschool program. However, the children in the intervention group will also participate in 80 joint attention intervention sessions. The sessions (20 minutes each) will be conducted twice a day for 8 weeks by preschool teachers or paraprofessionals working in the preschools. Before starting the intervention preschool teachers and paraprofessionals will be taught how to teach joint attention skills and how to initiate and maintain episodes of joint engagement. During the course of intervention they will be supervised by trained counselors.

Outcome measures will include joint attention skills, language skills and joint engagement. Children will be assessed at baseline, after 10 weeks and at follow up 6 months and 1 year after the end of the intervention. The measures are based on direct testing of the children, video observations and questionnaires to parent and professionals.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   24 Months to 60 Months
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • diagnosis of autism
  • age 2-4 year old

Exclusion Criteria:

  • severe mental retardation
  • severe clinical CNS disorders
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00378157

Locations
Norway
Ullevaal University Hospital
Oslo, Norway, 0319
Sponsors and Collaborators
Ullevaal University Hospital
Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Investigators
Study Chair: Eili Sponheim, PhD Ullevaal University Hospital
Study Chair: Lars Smith, PhD University of Oslo (UiO)
Study Chair: Berit Grøholt, PhD University of Oslo (UiO)
Principal Investigator: Anett Kaale, PhD student Ullevaal University Hospital and Centre for Child and Adolecent Mental Health (R-BUP)
  More Information

No publications provided by Oslo University Hospital

Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Responsible Party: Ullevaal University Hospital/Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (PI: Anett Kaale, Research Fellow)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00378157     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: UUS 29560105
Study First Received: September 18, 2006
Last Updated: February 21, 2011
Health Authority: Norway:National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics

Keywords provided by Oslo University Hospital:
autism
joint attention
intervention
joint engagement
language

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Autistic Disorder
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
Mental Disorders Diagnosed in Childhood
Mental Disorders

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013