Long-Term Outcomes of the Early Social Interaction Clinical Trial on Autism Core Symptoms in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence
Abstract
In response to funding opportunity W81XWH-20-ARP-IDA, this project will address the following Idea Development Award Areas of Interest: Long-term treatment outcomes from previous clinical trials for ASD core symptoms or to alleviate co-occurring conditions Early diagnosis and intervention have lifetime consequences for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Addressing early developmental delays may help to improve children’s developmental trajectories and buffer the emergence of accompanying challenges in childhood and adolescence so that they are ready to learn and benefit from the general education curriculum and other learning opportunities. Early intervention (EI) is aimed at improving early trajectories to achieve the best possible outcomes in early childhood. Growing research suggests that providing EI can result in greater gains in developmental outcomes than waiting to start intervening until school age. However, continued research on intervention for children under age three is important as many important questions remain. Of the few published clinical trials of EI designed for toddlers with ASD, results have been mixed. There is an ongoing need for treatment research to more thoroughly measure the success of EIs. We must examine the long-term outcomes of treatments to ensure that children continue to benefit even after treatment ends. We must also investigate the large variability in how and when children with ASD respond to treatment rather than simply examining change from the beginning to the end of treatment group as a whole, an approach that assumes that all children respond in the same way. This Idea Development research study seeks to contribute to our understanding of EI for toddlers with ASD by examining the long-term outcomes of the 82 children who participated in the clinical trial of the parent-implemented Early Social Interaction (ESI) intervention from 18 to 36 months of age. We aim to use data-driven approaches to determine how and when individual children responded to the intervention and how this relates to their outcomes in middle childhood and early adolescence. The proposed project will combine data from the original clinical trial and data collected at school age and early adolescence. Our assessment will go beyond measures of ASD symptoms and cognitive abilities by including outcomes that are important to children and families, such as mental health and self-reported quality of life. To continue to improve EI and close the research-to-practice gap, we must use innovative methods to more thoroughly assess the effectiveness and impact of our treatment approaches. This study will document the long-term outcomes of young children who received an affordable, community-viable intervention – the ESI model – delivered by parents in natural environments. This research will highlight the role of variability in treatment response in order to provide evidence for the importance of monitoring treatment progress and identify which developmental trajectory a child may be showing as treatment progresses. Results of the study will also provide information for decision-making on when to make adjustments to treatment planning in EI and future treatment studies. The attractiveness of parent-implemented intervention is its potential to advance a community-viable solution for achieving the level of intensity needed to effect meaningful change and improve long-term outcomes for children with ASD and their families.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110321
Entities
People
- Whitney Guthrie
Organizations
- United States Army