EARLY COMMUNICATION INTERVENTION IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN

本建议的目的是评估一个特定的干预（响应和前语言环境教学：RPMT）对改善自闭症幼儿的社会沟通和运动模仿技能的有效性。 无论是完整的RPMT，和前语言环境教学的组成部分，已有效地增加社会沟通的几个方面，在一组发育迟缓的儿童和3名自闭症儿童。 建议的因变量是（a）有意沟通，（B）与眼神接触的沟通，（c）启动联合注意，（d）协调使用最常用的行为来传达启动联合注意，（e）注意积极的影响分享，（e）运动模仿，（f）表达性词汇水平。 我们将检验治疗对这些因变量的影响是否随（a）治疗前儿童和父母特征和（B）非项目治疗参与的几个特征而变化。 我们还将测试6个月随访表达词汇的治疗效果是否发生，并通过启动联合注意力进行介导。 为了控制暴露于引起交流的情况和测试位置，将使用造影剂治疗。 儿童将被随机分配到治疗。 儿童将被随机分配到治疗。 每种治疗中的儿童将在6个月内被看到相同的次数。 将在治疗前、输液港治疗和6个月随访期评估沟通、词汇和运动模仿。 检查员和编码员对治疗分配不知情。

The purpose of this proposal is to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific intervention (Responsivity and Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching: RPMT) on improving social communication and motor imitation skills in young children with autism. Both the full RPMT, and the Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching component, have been effective in increasing several aspects of social communication in a group of children with developmental delays and in 3 children with autism. The proposed dependent variables are (a) intentional communication, (b) communication with eye contact, (c) initiating joint attention, (d) coordinated use of the behaviors most frequently used to convey initiating joint attention, (e) attention to positive affect sharing, (e) motor imitation, and (f) expressive vocabulary level. We will test whether treatment effects on these dependent variables vary as a function of (a) pretreatment child and parental characteristics and (b) several characteristics of non-project treatment involvement. We will also test whether treatment effects on 6- month follow-up expressive vocabulary occur and are mediated by initiating joint attention. To control for exposure to situations that evoke communication and to the testing location, a contrast treatment will be used. Children will be randomly assigned to treatments. Children will be randomly assigned to treatments. Children in each treatment will be seen an equal number of times for 6 months. Assessments of communication, vocabulary, and motor imitation will occur at the pre-treatment, port-treatment, and 6 month follow-up periods. Examiners and coders will be blind to treatment assignment.