How Simplified Language Affects Comprehension and Learning in Young Autistic Children

NCT05707923 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 4584124R01DC020165
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 104
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The long-term study goal is to experimentally evaluate the components (and likely active ingredients) of early language interventions for young children with ASD. The overall objective is to determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects real-time language processing and word learning in young children with ASD (relative to full, grammatical utterances). The proposed project will investigate three specific aims: 1) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects language processing. 2) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects word learning. 3) Evaluate child characteristics that may moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that children with ASD will process full, grammatical utterances faster and more accurately than single-word or telegraphic utterances. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that full, grammatical utterances will support word learning better than telegraphic or single-word utterances. Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that language and cognitive skills significantly moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning in young children with ASD.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

language; autism; intervention; processing; learning; early childhood; treatment; early intervention; telegraphic; language input; looking-while-listening; eye tracking; comprehension; neurodevelopmental disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Gaze location on Looking-While-Listening (LWL) tasks

  LWL involves a child looking at a screen with two images, one on each side of the screen, while being provided an auditory cue that includes the name of the target image. The primary outcome is a dichotomous variable indicating whether the child is fixated on the target image or the distracter image; gaze directed at neither image will be considered missing. It will be determined whether gaze is to the left or right image, using trained coders who are blind to target side. Gaze location will be observed every 33 ms from 300 ms after onset to 2000 ms after target word onset, for a total of 51 observations per trial. Analyses will focus on differences across trial types and child characteristics in the trajectory of gaze location over the course of the trial.

  Single assessment per task; total duration less than 10 minutes per task

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Gaze location in Teaching Phase of Study 2b (Fast Mapping)

  Single assessment; total duration less than 10 minutes

Study Arms (1)

Utterance Type

EXPERIMENTAL

This study uses a within-participant experimental manipulation. All participants will be exposed to all utterance types (across trials).

Behavioral: Linguistic simplification

Interventions

Linguistic simplification BEHAVIORAL

Children will participate in screen-based language processing and word learning tasks in which they hear utterances with different types and amounts of linguistic simplification (i.e., a within-group manipulation).

Utterance Type

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 1 Year - 4 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Existing or suspected autism spectrum disorder, confirmed through ADOS-2
• English as primary language
• years old

You may not qualify if:

• Known genetic condition (e.g., Down syndrome, fragile X)
• Cerebral palsy
• Acquired brain injury
• Uncorrected vision or hearing impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Michigan State University: lead
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Language; Autistic Disorder; Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Mental Disorders; Communication; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Courtney Venker, PhD

CONTACT

5178842259; cvenker@msu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2023
• First Posted: February 1, 2023
• Study Start: June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 31, 2027
• Last Updated: April 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Locations

US (1)