Assessing the Effectiveness of Reciprocal Imitation Teaching in Part C Early Intervention Settings (Sprout Study)

Overseen By Daina Tagavi, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Washington

Disqualifiers: Severe impairments, serious conditions, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

91 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a play-based therapy called Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) for young children with early signs of autism. The therapy involves parents to help increase the amount of practice at home. The goal is to improve social communication skills and reduce parenting stress. RIT has been shown to improve imitation and social engagement in young children with autism.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Daily Routines, Reciprocal Intervention Teaching (RIT)?

Research shows that Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is effective in improving imitation and language skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, providers who used RIT in community settings reported high levels of adoption and perceived effectiveness, suggesting it may help improve social communication behaviors. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does Reciprocal Intervention Teaching (RIT) differ from other treatments for autism spectrum disorder?

Reciprocal Intervention Teaching (RIT) is unique because it focuses on teaching imitation skills in a natural social setting, which helps children with autism improve their ability to imitate objects and gestures, leading to better verbal imitation and spontaneous language use. This approach is different from other treatments that may not emphasize imitation within a social-communicative context. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Research Team

Wendy L Stone, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Child is between 18 and 30 months of age at study entry

The child has difficulty with social communication skills that are typical in those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

You are fluent in English.

Exclusion Criteria

Child has no severe visual, auditory, or physical impairments and no serious medical, genetic, or neurological conditions that would impede their ability to engage in RIT.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training

EI providers receive training workshops on RIT or Daily Routines

1 week

1 virtual workshop

Caregiver Participation

Caregivers participate in videotaped sessions and complete surveys at multiple time points

6 months

3 visits (in-home)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after training

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Daily Routines
• Reciprocal Intervention Teaching (RIT)

Participant Groups

Group I: RIT Training Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Providers in the RIT group (n=30) will receive an 8-hour virtual workshop (2 half-days) on RIT implementation and caregiver coaching. Each provider will invite 2 families in their caseload to participate in the study. Providers will coach families in the use of RIT. One intervention session for each enrolled family will be videotaped and scored for RIT fidelity.

Group II: Daily Routines Active Control 1 Intervention

Providers in the Routines Control group (n=30) will receive a 3-hour virtual workshop focused on helping providers coach caregivers on how to increase children's participation and social engagement during everyday home routines (i.e., snack time, bedtime, bath time, and family playtime). Each provider will invite 2 families in their caseload to participate in the study. One intervention session for each enrolled family will be videotaped and scored for RIT fidelity to ensure contamination has not occurred and the control condition providers are not utilizing RIT strategies.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

Collaborator

Trials

59

Recruited

10,600+

Findings from Research

Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) effectively teaches children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to imitate gestures and objects, leading to improvements in spontaneous language use.

In a study involving 4 children, adding gesture imitation training resulted in greater language use for 3 of the participants, indicating that combining gesture and object imitation training can enhance language development in children with ASD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of object and gesture imitation training on language use in children with autism spectrum disorder. Ingersoll, B., Lalonde, K.[2023]

After training in Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), 66 Early Intervention providers reported significant increases in their confidence and self-efficacy in delivering services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Providers successfully adopted RIT with over 400 families, indicating high feasibility and perceived effectiveness, especially for children with social-communication or motor imitation delays, suggesting RIT could be a valuable early intervention in community settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The implementation of reciprocal imitation training in a Part C early intervention setting: A stepped-wedge pragmatic trial. Ibañez, LV., Scott, S., Stone, WL.[2022]

The study demonstrated that three individuals with classic Rett syndrome, aged 15 to 47, were able to learn new communication behaviors using functional assessment and functional communication training methods.

These findings suggest that individuals with Rett syndrome can effectively use voice-output switches to communicate, highlighting the potential for developing evidence-based communication interventions for this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional communication training in rett syndrome: a preliminary study. Byiers, BJ., Dimian, A., Symons, FJ.[2014]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of object and gesture imitation training on language use in children with autism spectrum disorder. [2023]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Guided and directed cues: developing a standardized coding scheme for clinical practice. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The implementation of reciprocal imitation training in a Part C early intervention setting: A stepped-wedge pragmatic trial. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Functional communication training in rett syndrome: a preliminary study. [2014]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining Guided and Directed Cues in Strategy Training and Usual Rehabilitation. [2019]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using of reciprocal teaching to enhance academic achievement: A systematic literature review. [2023]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using just-in-time teaching and peer instruction in a residency program's core curriculum: enhancing satisfaction, engagement, and retention. [2022]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparison of methods for teaching receptive labeling to children with autism spectrum disorders. [2021]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Training and generalization of reach-grasp behavior in blind, retarded young children. [2019]