Social Stories for Autism
(MLSC Trial)
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this early Phase 1 clinical trial is to assess if the social content of a story impacts autistic children's listening comprehension of stories. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does removing social content from a story improve listening comprehension in autistic children? * Does listening comprehension of more social versus less social stories differentially predict performance on a standardized reading comprehension measure? Participants will listen to more social and less social stories while viewing accompanying pictures and answer comprehension questions about the stories and complete a standardized assessment of reading comprehension. In addition, participants complete measures of their nonverbal cognition, hearing status, autism severity, language abilities, and social communication abilities to help characterize individual differences in participants.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications. It seems unlikely that medication changes are required, as the study focuses on listening comprehension and social stories.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Less Social Stories, More Social Stories for autism?
Research shows that Social Stories can improve social skills in children with autism, with several studies indicating significant benefits in social interaction and behavior. Additionally, combining Social Stories with other techniques like Video Self-Modelling has been effective in teaching social skills, suggesting that these stories can be a valuable tool in addressing social challenges in autism.12345
Is the Social Stories intervention safe for autistic children?
Research on interventions for young autistic children, including those similar to Social Stories, shows that adverse events (physical or psychological distress) and adverse effects (caused by the intervention) are rarely reported. Out of 150 studies, only 11 mentioned adverse events, suggesting a need for better reporting to ensure safety information is available.678910
How is the Social Stories treatment different from other autism treatments?
Social Stories is a unique treatment for autism that uses personalized stories to help children understand and improve their social skills. Unlike other treatments, it focuses on providing tailored social information from the child's perspective, which can lead to better social interactions and decision-making in educational settings.14111213
Research Team
Meghan M Davidson, PhD, CCC-SLP
Principal Investigator
University of Kansas Department of Speech-Language Hearing: Communications and Disorders
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for children aged 9 to almost 13 with an autism diagnosis who speak in phrases and use only one language. They shouldn't have uncorrected vision problems, intellectual impairments (IQ < 70), cerebral palsy, chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, or minimal spoken language.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Experimental Measure
Participants complete the Socialness Story Task to measure comprehension of more social and less social stories, along with a standardized test of reading comprehension.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for comprehension outcomes and individual differences in cognition, language, and social communication.
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Less Social Stories
- More Social Stories
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Kansas Medical Center
Lead Sponsor
University of Kansas
Collaborator
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator