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Therapist and Parent Delivered Reciprocal Imitation Training for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT03020927 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 18

Last updated 2026-04-24

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine whether adding a parent education component to an existing intervention (Reciprocal Imitation Training) results in improved outcomes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is a behavioral intervention designed to improve spontaneous imitation skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Previous research suggests that it can be effective when used by trained therapists, teachers, siblings, and parents of children with ASD. However, it is unclear to what extent training parents to use RIT strategies in the home environment may enhance outcomes, compared to having therapists implement RIT individually with the child. The study will compare two different versions of RIT for young children with ASD: (1) two 60-minute weekly sessions of therapist-implemented RIT and (2) one weekly 60-minute session of therapist-implemented RIT and one weekly 60-minute session of parent education about using RIT in the home environment. The investigators will examine child and family outcomes between these two intervention types. Outcomes examined will include: (1) spontaneous and prompted imitation skills in the child with ASD, (2) social communication skills in the child with ASD, (3) parent stress, and (4) parent and child behaviors during parent-child play interactions.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Reciprocal Imitation Training (Therapist-Delivered)

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention aimed at improving social imitation skills.

BEHAVIORAL

Reciprocal Imitation Training (Therapist + Parent Delivered)

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention aimed at improving social imitation skills, using a combination of therapist-delivered intervention and parent training to deliver intervention in the home setting.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Ohio State University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
24 Months
Max Age
60 Months
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2016-04-30
Primary Completion
2022-08-31
Completion
2022-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03020927 on ClinicalTrials.gov