JASPER Therapy for Down Syndrome

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial studies the impact of JASPER therapy, which involves one-on-one coaching for caregivers of children with Down syndrome. The goal is to improve children's play, attention, and interaction skills, as well as caregiver confidence and effectiveness. JASPER is a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention that has been shown to improve social communication, play skills, and language skills in children.

Research Team

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children aged 3-6 with confirmed Trisomy 21 Down Syndrome who can walk and speak English. Their caregiver must be able to do virtual coaching or learn a behavioral curriculum. Children with mosaic/translocation Down syndrome, major hearing/vision issues, or autism cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

English speaking

I have been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

I am between 3 and 6 years old.

See 2 more

Exclusion Criteria

I have major hearing or vision issues that haven't been corrected.

My child does not have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I have a specific type of Down syndrome.

Treatment Details

Interventions

JASPER (Behavioral Intervention)
Psychoeducational Curriculum (Behavioral Intervention)

Trial OverviewThe study compares JASPER behavioral therapy—a one-on-one coaching method—with a self-taught psychoeducational curriculum for caregivers of children with Down Syndrome to see which better improves child development and behavior.

Participant Groups

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Psychoeducational Curriculum GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Caregivers receiving the 10 weekly psychoeducational curriculum modules will be provided with the resources via secure email and encouraged to engage with the material a self-directed manner. The psychoeducational modules will include written information about child development, communication and social interaction skills, behavioral principles for managing challenging behavior and strategies for teaching new skills. No direct caregiver-child mediated coaching will be provided. The content of the modules will include information about developmental milestones in this age group for children with DS, behavior management strategy recommendations, positive parenting materials, and materials on increasing engagement through play.

Group II: JASPER Intervention GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Caregivers receiving the JASPER intervention will undergo weekly virtual 60-minute sessions for 10 weeks conducted via Zoom. The content of the intervention includes teaching and implementation of contingent responding and specific strategies to provide a high-quality response to children's communication, and play behaviors. Caregiver training is completed through review of pre-recorded videos of the caregiver-child dyad each week. The first half of each session will be dedicated to reviewing previous content and feedback on the play recording. The following half will consist of new material. The coaching support includes contingent responding, the parent is also taught to use specific strategies to provide a rich, high-quality response to children's communication, and play behaviors.