Improving Access to Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) Via Telehealth Parent Training

NCT04042337 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 52597
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 101
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

There is an urgent need for improved access to effective autism treatments. With advances in technology, distance learning models have particular promise for families who cannot access evidence-based parent training locally or may be on long wait-lists for behavioral treatments. Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an established treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, a telehealth PRT model has not yet been evaluated in a controlled trial. This study will examine the effects of training parents in PRT via secure video conferencing and investigate 1) whether parents can learn via telehealth to deliver PRT in the home setting (PRT-T) and 2) whether their children will show greater improvement in functional communication skills compared to children in a waitlist control group. Participants will include 40 children age 2 to 5 years with ASD and significant language delay. Eligible children will be randomly assigned to either PRT-T (N=20) or waiting list (N=20). Weekly 60-minute parent training sessions will be delivered for 12 weeks via secure video conferencing software by a PRT-trained study therapist. The effects of PRT-T on parent fidelity of PRT implementation, child communication deficits including frequency of functional verbal utterances, and parent-report of communication skills on standardized questionnaires will be evaluated. This research will provide a foundation for wider dissemination of technology-based solutions to improve access to ASD treatment.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Parent Fidelity of PRT Implementation from Baseline to Week 12

  Based on behavioral coding of parent-child interaction videos in the home

  Baseline, Week 12

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Child Frequency of Functional Utterances from Baseline to Week 12

  Baseline, Week 12

Study Arms (2)

PRT Telehealth

EXPERIMENTAL

Participating parents will receive 12 weekly 60-minute parent training sessions via secure videoconference to learn Pivotal Response Treatment

Behavioral: Pivotal Response Treatment

Waitlist

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will continue stable community-based treatments

Interventions

Pivotal Response Treatment BEHAVIORAL

PRT will target functional communication abilities

PRT Telehealth

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 2 Years - 5 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may not qualify if:

• a) children who have a primary language other than English, b) parent or child diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorder or unstable medical problem, c) child participating in \>15 hours per week of 1:1 ABA treatment at home, d) unstable medical condition such as severe seizures, e) Severe behavioral difficulties (e.g., self-injury or aggression that could present a safety risk to the child or family members during implementation of the intervention), f) previous adequate trial of pivotal response treatment, or g) living within 200 miles of Stanford University.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Stanford, California, 94305-5719, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinical Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2019
• First Posted: August 1, 2019
• Study Start: April 13, 2020
• Primary Completion: October 29, 2025
• Study Completion: October 29, 2025
• Last Updated: November 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)