Meeting the Needs of Young Hispanic Autistic Children

Summary

Purpose of the Study: The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a technique called the "mutual gaze procedure" used in a Culturally and Linguistically Responsive adaptation of Pathways Early Intervention (CLR-Pathways) is the key to improving social communication, language, and everyday skills in young (18-42 months) Hispanic autistic children experiencing low income.

What Will Happen: Researchers will compare two versions of CLR-Pathways.

* Version 1: Includes mutual gaze strategies.
* Version 2: Does not include mutual gaze strategies.

What to Expect: Participants will:

* Attend 16 sessions (or 18 weeks if there are cancellations) of Pathways Intervention, each lasting 1.5 hours.
* Come to the clinic for a developmental check-up three times: before starting Pathways, right after completing Pathways, and three months after finishing Pathways.

Conditions

• Autism

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pathways Parent-Mediated Intervention without Mutual Gaze

Pathways-trained bilingual research clinicians will conduct 90-minute weekly coaching sessions with caregivers in the family's home or other convenient location. Caregivers will receive a written and audio version of the program manual which has been adapted to be culturally and linguistically responsive to the Hispanic community. Sessions will review information about social communication, social sensory routines, and using naturalistic developmental behavioral strategies. Interventionists will demonstrate intervention strategies and provide caregivers with feedback and self-reflection.

BEHAVIORAL

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pathways Parent-Mediated Intervention

Pathways-trained bilingual research clinicians will conduct 90-minute weekly coaching sessions with caregivers in the family's home or other convenient location. Caregivers will receive a written and audio version of the program manual which has been adapted to be culturally and linguistically responsive to the Hispanic community. Sessions will review information about social communication, infusing mutual gaze in social sensory routines, and using naturalistic developmental behavioral strategies. Interventionists will demonstrate intervention strategies and provide caregivers with feedback and self-reflection.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

  collaborator FED

• Catholic Charities

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Kansas

  collaborator OTHER

• The University of Texas at Dallas

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Pamela Rollins, EdD · University of Texas at Dallas

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Months

Max Age

42 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-22

Primary Completion

2028-01-31

Completion

2028-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations