440 Participants Needed

Reciprocal Imitation Training for Autism

Recruiting at 4 trial locations
LV
SE
CA
WK
AW
AC
BI
Overseen ByBrooke Ingersoll, PhD
Age: < 18
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: University of Washington
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study is evaluating whether a parent-mediated intervention can improve outcomes for 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 Reciprocal Imitation Training for Autism?

Research shows that Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) helps young children with autism improve their ability to imitate gestures and play actions. Studies found that children who received RIT made significant gains in both elicited and spontaneous imitation skills, and these improvements were maintained over time and in different settings.12345

How is Reciprocal Imitation Training different from other treatments for autism?

Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is unique because it is a naturalistic intervention that focuses on teaching imitation skills during play, which helps children with autism improve their social and communication abilities. Unlike some other treatments, RIT can be easily taught to parents to use at home, making it more accessible and practical for everyday use.13456

Research Team

WL

Wendy Stone, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or social communication impairments who attend weekly sessions with a provider. Parents or guardians must be over 18, speak English or Spanish, and have not received Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) before. Children with visual, hearing, or motor conditions that affect RIT participation are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

Parents are biological parents or custodial guardians
The child attends at minimum 1x/week sessions with the enrolled provider
My child has been diagnosed with autism or has trouble communicating socially.

Exclusion Criteria

My child or I have had therapy or coaching in a developmental intervention before.
My child has conditions affecting sight, hearing, or movement that may limit participation in the therapy or assessments.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training and Initial Assessment

EI providers receive intensive training in RIT and parent coaching, and baseline assessments are conducted for children and families.

4 weeks
1 visit (in-person) for training, multiple virtual assessments

Active Treatment

Providers use the CI-RIT intervention with enrolled families, with monthly videotaped sessions for fidelity scoring and monthly consultations.

3 months
Monthly in-person or virtual sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for improvements in child and caregiver outcomes, with assessments at 4 and 9 months post-baseline.

5 months
2 visits (in-person or virtual) for assessments

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Reciprocal Imitation Training
Trial Overview The study aims to improve early intervention services for children with ASD by training providers in the Part C Early Intervention system to use an evidence-based parent-mediated approach called Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT).
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: RIT Training GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Providers in the RIT group (n=80) will receive intensive training (online tutorial, 2-day workshop, and virtual coaching and feedback in the field) in RIT and parent coaching and will be required to achieve fidelity prior to enrolling families from their caseload. They will then be asked to use the intervention with enrolled families for a minimum of 3 months. One intervention session per month for each enrolled family will be videotaped and scored for fidelity. Providers will receive monthly consultation from RIT trainers while these families are in the active treatment phase.
Group II: Treatment as UsualActive Control1 Intervention
Providers in the TAU group (n=80) will have three sessions videotaped and scored for each enrolled family to assess treatment differentiation. To incentivize agency participation, RIT training will be provided to the TAU group and other providers when data collection is complete.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials
1,858
Recruited
2,023,000+

Michigan State University

Collaborator

Trials
202
Recruited
687,000+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials
3,007
Recruited
2,852,000+

Rush University Medical Center

Collaborator

Trials
448
Recruited
247,000+

University of Massachusetts, Boston

Collaborator

Trials
42
Recruited
17,800+

Findings from Research

Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) significantly improved both elicited and spontaneous imitation skills in 21 young children with autism, demonstrating its efficacy as a naturalistic intervention.
The study found that children with a larger repertoire of spontaneous play acts before treatment showed greater improvements in imitation skills during RIT, indicating that existing play skills may enhance the effectiveness of the intervention.
Pilot randomized controlled trial of Reciprocal Imitation Training for teaching elicited and spontaneous imitation to children with autism.Ingersoll, B.[2023]
Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) effectively teaches spontaneous imitation skills to young children with autism, as demonstrated in a study involving three children and their mothers over 10 weeks.
Parents were able to successfully implement RIT techniques, leading to significant increases in their children's ability to imitate actions and gestures, showing that this intervention can be effectively used in naturalistic settings.
The effect of a parent-implemented imitation intervention on spontaneous imitation skills in young children with autism.Ingersoll, B., Gergans, S.[2007]
Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) effectively improved the imitation of descriptive gestures in five young children with autism, as demonstrated by increased gesture imitation in both treatment settings and structured assessments.
The gains from RIT not only generalized to different therapists and settings but also maintained over a month, with some children showing increased spontaneous use of gestures, highlighting the intervention's potential for long-term benefits.
Teaching the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures in young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral intervention.Ingersoll, B., Lewis, E., Kroman, E.[2019]

References

Pilot randomized controlled trial of Reciprocal Imitation Training for teaching elicited and spontaneous imitation to children with autism. [2023]
The effect of a parent-implemented imitation intervention on spontaneous imitation skills in young children with autism. [2007]
Teaching the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures in young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral intervention. [2019]
Effects of coaching on the fidelity of parent implementation of reciprocal imitation training. [2020]
Promoting imitation in young children with autism: a comparison of reciprocal imitation training and video modeling. [2021]
The impact of object and gesture imitation training on language use in children with autism spectrum disorder. [2023]