Reciprocal Imitation Training for Autism

Recruiting at4 trial locations

Overseen by Wendy Stone, PhD

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: University of Washington

Disqualifiers: Visual, hearing, motor conditions

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study is evaluating whether a parent-mediated intervention can improve outcomes for children with autism.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Reciprocal Imitation Training for Autism?

Research shows that Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) helps young children with autism improve their ability to imitate gestures and play actions. Studies found that children who received RIT made significant gains in both elicited and spontaneous imitation skills, and these improvements were maintained over time and in different settings. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is Reciprocal Imitation Training different from other treatments for autism?

Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is unique because it is a naturalistic intervention that focuses on teaching imitation skills during play, which helps children with autism improve their social and communication abilities. Unlike some other treatments, RIT can be easily taught to parents to use at home, making it more accessible and practical for everyday use. ^{1 3 4 5 6}

Research Team

Wendy Stone, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Washington

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or social communication impairments who attend weekly sessions with a provider. Parents or guardians must be over 18, speak English or Spanish, and have not received Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) before. Children with visual, hearing, or motor conditions that affect RIT participation are excluded.

Inclusion Criteria

My parents can speak English or Spanish.

My parents are 18 years old or older.

Parents are biological parents or custodial guardians

Exclusion Criteria

My child or I have had therapy or coaching in a developmental intervention before.

My child has conditions affecting sight, hearing, or movement that may limit participation in the therapy or assessments.

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Training and Initial Assessment

EI providers receive intensive training in RIT and parent coaching, and baseline assessments are conducted for children and families.

4 weeks

1 visit (in-person) for training, multiple virtual assessments

Active Treatment

Providers use the CI-RIT intervention with enrolled families, with monthly videotaped sessions for fidelity scoring and monthly consultations.

3 months

Monthly in-person or virtual sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for improvements in child and caregiver outcomes, with assessments at 4 and 9 months post-baseline.

5 months

2 visits (in-person or virtual) for assessments

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Reciprocal Imitation Training (Behavioral Intervention)

Trial Overview The study aims to improve early intervention services for children with ASD by training providers in the Part C Early Intervention system to use an evidence-based parent-mediated approach called Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT).

Participant Groups

Group I: RIT Training Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Providers in the RIT group (n=80) will receive intensive training (online tutorial, 2-day workshop, and virtual coaching and feedback in the field) in RIT and parent coaching and will be required to achieve fidelity prior to enrolling families from their caseload. They will then be asked to use the intervention with enrolled families for a minimum of 3 months. One intervention session per month for each enrolled family will be videotaped and scored for fidelity. Providers will receive monthly consultation from RIT trainers while these families are in the active treatment phase.

Group II: Treatment as Usual Active Control 1 Intervention

Providers in the TAU group (n=80) will have three sessions videotaped and scored for each enrolled family to assess treatment differentiation. To incentivize agency participation, RIT training will be provided to the TAU group and other providers when data collection is complete.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Washington

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,858

Recruited

2,023,000+

Dr. Timothy H. Dellit

University of Washington

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

MD from University of Washington

Dr. Anneliese Schleyer

University of Washington

Chief Medical Officer since 2023

MD, MHA

Michigan State University

Collaborator

Trials

202

Recruited

687,000+

Doug Gage

Michigan State University

Chief Executive Officer

PhD in Botany from the University of Texas

David Smith

Michigan State University

Chief Medical Officer

MD from Michigan State University

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Dr. Joshua A. Gordon

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Chief Executive Officer since 2016

MD, PhD

Dr. Shelli Avenevoli

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Chief Medical Officer

PhD

Rush University Medical Center

Collaborator

Trials

448

Recruited

247,000+

Dr. Omar B. Lateef

Rush University Medical Center

Chief Executive Officer since 2022

MD from Des Moines University, Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Rush University Medical Center

Dr. Paul E. Casey

Rush University Medical Center

Chief Medical Officer since 2021

MD, MBA

University of Massachusetts, Boston

Collaborator

Trials

42

Recruited

17,800+

Findings from Research

Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) significantly improved both elicited and spontaneous imitation skills in 21 young children with autism, demonstrating its efficacy as a naturalistic intervention.

The study found that children with a larger repertoire of spontaneous play acts before treatment showed greater improvements in imitation skills during RIT, indicating that existing play skills may enhance the effectiveness of the intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot randomized controlled trial of Reciprocal Imitation Training for teaching elicited and spontaneous imitation to children with autism. Ingersoll, B.[2023]

Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) effectively teaches spontaneous imitation skills to young children with autism, as demonstrated in a study involving three children and their mothers over 10 weeks.

Parents were able to successfully implement RIT techniques, leading to significant increases in their children's ability to imitate actions and gestures, showing that this intervention can be effectively used in naturalistic settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of a parent-implemented imitation intervention on spontaneous imitation skills in young children with autism. Ingersoll, B., Gergans, S.[2007]

Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) effectively improved the imitation of descriptive gestures in five young children with autism, as demonstrated by increased gesture imitation in both treatment settings and structured assessments.

The gains from RIT not only generalized to different therapists and settings but also maintained over a month, with some children showing increased spontaneous use of gestures, highlighting the intervention's potential for long-term benefits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures in young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral intervention. Ingersoll, B., Lewis, E., Kroman, E.[2019]

Reciprocal imitation training is an effective intervention for improving social imitation skills in young children with autism, and it can be easily taught to parents and caregivers for home use.

The study found that providing 1:1 coaching to parents significantly improved their ability to implement the training, which in turn led to increased spontaneous imitation behaviors in some children with autism.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of coaching on the fidelity of parent implementation of reciprocal imitation training. Penney, A., Schwartz, I.[2020]

Reciprocal imitation training and video modeling were both effective interventions for improving imitation skills in young children with autism, as demonstrated in a study involving six boys matched by age, language, and autism severity.

All participants showed increased imitation abilities that not only improved during treatment but also maintained and generalized to higher levels after the interventions, highlighting the potential of these methods in skill development for children with autism.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting imitation in young children with autism: a comparison of reciprocal imitation training and video modeling. Cardon, TA., Wilcox, MJ.[2021]

Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) effectively teaches children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to imitate gestures and objects, leading to improvements in spontaneous language use.

In a study involving 4 children, adding gesture imitation training resulted in greater language use for 3 of the participants, indicating that combining gesture and object imitation training can enhance language development in children with ASD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of object and gesture imitation training on language use in children with autism spectrum disorder. Ingersoll, B., Lalonde, K.[2023]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot randomized controlled trial of Reciprocal Imitation Training for teaching elicited and spontaneous imitation to children with autism. [2023]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of a parent-implemented imitation intervention on spontaneous imitation skills in young children with autism. [2007]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching the imitation and spontaneous use of descriptive gestures in young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral intervention. [2019]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of coaching on the fidelity of parent implementation of reciprocal imitation training. [2020]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting imitation in young children with autism: a comparison of reciprocal imitation training and video modeling. [2021]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of object and gesture imitation training on language use in children with autism spectrum disorder. [2023]