AI Modules for Improving Social Communication in Autism

Overseen By Monica Lam, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Intellectual impairment, Non English speaking, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

Duration: 4 weeks

540 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests an app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help people with autism improve their social communication skills. The researchers aim to determine if common face-to-face socialization techniques can be effectively delivered through a phone or computer. This approach could make it easier for people to receive help from home, especially if they have difficulty accessing in-person services. The trial seeks participants diagnosed with autism who experience challenges in social conversations, such as showing empathy. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could transform how social skills are developed for people with autism.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. Participants with ADHD, depression, or social anxiety are not excluded, suggesting that continuing these medications might be allowed.

What prior data suggests that these AI modules are safe for improving social communication in autism?

Research shows that using AI to help people with autism improve their social skills is generally safe. Studies on similar AI tools have found that people handle them well. For example, a chatbot named Noora has assisted individuals with autism in practicing social skills, and users have not reported any serious issues with these AI tools.

These AI tools resemble in-person methods already used safely and widely, but they are delivered through a phone or computer app. This suggests few safety concerns, as the treatment does not involve medication or physical procedures.

Although specific data from human trials is not available in this case, the use of AI tools in other areas suggests they are safe for most people. For specific safety concerns, please consult the trial team. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the AI Modules for Improving Social Communication in Autism because they offer a novel approach to enhancing social skills, which traditional therapies like behavioral interventions or speech therapy might not fully address. This method leverages artificial intelligence to provide personalized, interactive conversation practice, potentially making it more engaging and adaptable to individual needs. Unlike existing treatments, which often require in-person sessions, this AI-based solution could be accessible anytime through an application, offering more flexibility and convenience.

What evidence suggests that AI Modules for Improving Social Conversation could be effective for autism?

Research has shown that AI tools can enhance social skills in people with autism. One study found that AI applications improved social skills by 89.8%. Another study described a special chatbot that allows people with autism to practice skills like empathy at their convenience. These AI tools offer a new way to access traditional face-to-face training. They may be particularly beneficial for those who prefer practicing social skills at home. This trial will compare an intervention group receiving AI Modules for Improving Social Conversation with a control group on a waitlist. Overall, early evidence suggests that AI can effectively support social communication in people with autism. ^{1 3 4 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for verbal individuals aged 11 to 35 with autism spectrum disorder who struggle with social conversations. Participants must be able to speak in full sentences and have specific communication challenges, like empathy. Those with ADHD, depression, or social anxiety can also join.

Inclusion Criteria

I can talk in full sentences for 20 minutes.

I am between 11 and 35 years old.

I have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

1 visit (phone/zoom)

Baseline Assessment

Eligibility is confirmed and baseline social conversation samples are collected

1 week

1 visit (phone/zoom)

Treatment

Participants engage in AI-based social communication modules for 4 weeks

4 weeks

Daily practice sessions (remote)

Post Intervention

Post-intervention social conversation samples and surveys are collected

1 week

1 visit (phone/zoom)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for sustained improvements in social communication

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• AI Modules for Improving Social Conversation

Trial Overview The study tests if AI modules on phones or computers can improve social conversation skills in people with ASD. It uses voice recognition and feedback to practice real-life interactions and aims to offer accessible care at home.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This group will receive the treatment (AI conversation modules) available through the application.

Group II: Control Group Active Control 1 Intervention

This waitlist control group will not receive treatment until the experimental group completes their intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The CRETA system, a novel collaborative virtual environment with intelligent agents, shows promise for assessing social communication and collaboration skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with moderate to high accuracy.

This technology provides a replicable and low-cost alternative to traditional human rating methods, potentially improving the generalizability of outcomes in real-world settings for ASD interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing Social Communication and Collaboration in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Intelligent Collaborative Virtual Environments. Zhang, L., Weitlauf, AS., Amat, AZ., et al.[2021]

A prototype conversation simulation was developed to help adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) improve their conversational skills, showing promise in engaging users through realistic feedback during virtual interactions.

In a 2-week trial with 16 participants, most reported that the simulation was helpful and endorsed its quality, indicating strong acceptability; however, further controlled studies are needed to assess its effectiveness in enhancing real-world communication skills.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Virtual conversation partner for adults with autism. Trepagnier, CY., Olsen, DE., Boteler, L., et al.[2021]

A new social skills training system that incorporates audiovisual features, such as smiling ratio and head pose, was developed and tested on 10 individuals with autism spectrum disorders and 18 from the general population, showing significant improvements in social skills after training.

This computer-based system can effectively supplement traditional human-led social skills training, making it a valuable tool for teachers and therapists to help individuals with social difficulties anytime and anywhere.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Embodied conversational agents for multimodal automated social skills training in people with autism spectrum disorders. Tanaka, H., Negoro, H., Iwasaka, H., et al.[2018]

An automated speaker diarization algorithm can effectively analyze natural conversations between autistic individuals and their partners, providing a more objective measure of communication skills compared to traditional methods.

The study found a significant correlation (r = 0.51) between the duration of speech during conversations and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales expressive communication score, suggesting that this automated measure can reliably reflect communication challenges in autism spectrum disorder.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Automatic speaker diarization for natural conversation analysis in autism clinical trials. O'Sullivan, J., Bogaarts, G., Schoenenberger, P., et al.[2023]

A new therapeutic platform using a humanoid robot named FACE has been developed to help individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) practice social skills in simulated scenarios, guided by a psychologist.

Preliminary results indicate that this robot-assisted therapy is well accepted by individuals with ASD, suggesting it could be an effective tool for improving their interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development and evaluation of a social robot platform for therapy in autism. Mazzei, D., Lazzeri, N., Billeci, L., et al.[2020]

A study involving 238 children (120 with autism spectrum disorder and 118 with other non-ASD conditions) identified a three-factor model of social-communication impairments, distinguishing between 'Basic Social-Communication' behaviors and 'Interaction Quality.'

This separation of social-communication dimensions can improve understanding of autism and related disorders, aiding in diagnosis and treatment by highlighting different types of impairments that may respond differently to interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Subdimensions of social-communication impairment in autism spectrum disorder. Bishop, SL., Havdahl, KA., Huerta, M., et al.[2020]

The study involved three adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and three with other cognitive impairments, who played a memory card game using a humanoid robot, a Smart Board, and traditional playing cards over three days.

Participants with ASD exhibited reduced repetitive behaviors when interacting with the robot and Smart Board compared to playing cards, indicating that robotic technology can be a feasible tool for enhancing social skills in adolescents with ASD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Feasibility of using a humanoid robot for enhancing attention and social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Jordan, K., King, M., Hellersteth, S., et al.[2015]

The article emphasizes the importance of assessing social communication (SC) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), defining SC as the appropriate use of verbal and nonverbal behaviors during interactions, which is crucial for treatment-sensitive measures in research.

Clinicians currently lack standardized methods to evaluate SC in routine psychiatric assessments, highlighting the need for a clear definition and a conceptual model to differentiate SC from social interaction and language, which are often confused in existing literature.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Need for a Clinically Useful Schema of Social Communication. Blank, MS., Turner, JB., Fisher, PW., et al.[2021]

A 4-week training program using a conversational agent significantly improved social skills in participants, particularly in generalized self-efficacy and reduced state anxiety, with a notable effect size (r=0.53 for self-efficacy).

Participants who received training showed enhanced speech clarity as rated by third-party trainers, indicating that automated social skills training can effectively support communication skills development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Validation of Automated Social Skills Training in Members of the General Population Over 4 Weeks: Comparative Study. Tanaka, H., Saga, T., Iwauchi, K., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. mdpi.com mdpi.com/2073-431X/14/7/292

A New AI Framework to Support Social-Emotional Skills ... A New AI Framework to Support Social-Emotional Skills and Emotion Awareness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. by. Andrea La Fauci De Leo.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05987774?locStr=California&country=United%20States&state=California&distance=50&cond=autism&aggFilters=ages:adult,status:not%20rec&rank=8

Improving Social Communication in Individuals With ASD ... In this study the investigators hope to elucidate whether autistic individuals will benefit from the translation of face-to-face interventions delivered by AI ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11811491/

Exploring the application of AI in the education of children with ... ... improving social skills for individuals with ASD. PHDT achieves the highest performance across all metrics, including a notable 89.8% in Social ...

4. hai.stanford.edu hai.stanford.edu/news/an-ai-social-coach-is-teaching-empathy-to-people-with-autism

An AI Social Coach Is Teaching Empathy to People with Autism A specialized chatbot named Noora is helping individuals with autism spectrum disorder practice their social skills on demand.

5. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/394901724_Artificial_Intelligence-Based_Tools_to_Improve_Social_Skills_in_Children_with_Autism_Spectrum_Disorder_ASD_A_Systematic_Literature_Review

Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools to Improve Social Skills ... Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools to Improve Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Systematic Literature Review.

6. centerwatch.com centerwatch.com/clinical-trials/listings/NCT05987774/improving-social-communication-in-individuals-with-asd-using-ai

Improving Social Communication in Individuals With ASD ... Modules focusing on various difficulties experienced by autistic individuals will provide practice and feedback using voice recognition and ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12322814/

Implementation of generative AI for the assessment and ... Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restrictive, repetitive behaviors.