Efficacy of LEGO Therapy for Adolescent With Level 1 Autism

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if LEGO therapy can enhance social skills in children aged 10-14 diagnosed with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does LEGO therapy improve social communication and interaction skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Do children show behavioral improvements in social skills after participating in LEGO therapy? Researchers will compare children receiving LEGO therapy to a control group (who will not receive LEGO therapy but continue their usual treatments) to see if LEGO therapy leads to greater improvements in social skills.

Participants will:

Complete behavioral tasks, including a LEGO construction test, at the beginning (T0) and after 3 months (T1).

Attend weekly LEGO therapy sessions for 90 minutes, over the course of 3 months (12 sessions).

Complete questionnaires about social behaviors, both parents and children, at T0 and T1.

Conditions

• Neurodevelopmental Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

LEGO

The LEGO Therapy intervention in this clinical trial is designed to enhance social skills in children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The intervention involves the following components: Group Sessions: The therapy will be conducted in small groups of three children of the same age (10-14 years) with a diagnosis of high-functioning ASD. The sessions are designed to foster collaboration and social interaction between the participants. Duration: The intervention will last for 3 months, consisting of 12 sessions, with each session lasting 90 minutes. Sessions will take place once a week at the IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris. Supervision: The groups will be supervised by trained professionals specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders, ensuring that the therapy is structured and supportive of each child\'s individual needs. Therapy Structure: During the sessions, children will engage in LEGO-based tasks, where they collaborate to build LEGO models.

OTHER

Controllo

This group will also consist of children aged 10-14 diagnosed with high-functioning ASD. However, these children will not receive LEGO therapy. Instead, they will continue their usual treatments in their local settings without participating in the LEGO therapy sessions. This group\'s outcomes will be compared with the experimental group to assess the effectiveness of LEGO therapy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Antonio Narzisi

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Giovanni Cioni, Neurolgy · IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris

• Antonio Narzisi, Psychology · IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

10 Years

Max Age

14 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-09-20

Primary Completion

2025-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations