Studying How Simplified Language Affects Autistic Children
This study is looking at how using simpler language helps young autistic children understand and learn words. We want to see if simplifying sentences, like using single words or "telegraphic" speech (leaving out small words), makes it easier for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to process language and learn new words compared to full, grammatical sentences. Children will participate in screen-based tasks where they hear different types of simplified language. We are looking for children aged 1 to 4 years old who have a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of ASD and speak English as their primary language. We will measure how children's eyes move during these tasks to understand their language processing. The study aims to enroll 104 participants.
- Study design
- This interventional study plans to enroll 104 participants. It is designed to compare how different types of linguistic simplification affect language processing and word learning within the same child.
- What's involved
- Participants will complete screen-based language processing and word learning tasks. Each task will last less than 10 minutes.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Not specified.
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How Simplified Language Affects Comprehension and Learning in Young Autistic Children
At a glance
Conditions
NCT05707923
Where you'd take part
This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michiganstudy coordinator listed
Recruiting
Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.
Who to contact
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Gaze location on Looking-While-Listening (LWL) tasksSingle assessment per task; total duration less than 10 minutes per task
LWL involves a child looking at a screen with two images, one on each side of the screen, while being provided an auditory cue that includes the name of the target image. The primary outcome is a dichotomous variable indicating whether the child is fixated on the target image or the distracter image; gaze directed at neither image will be considered missing. It will be determined whether gaze is to the left or right image, using trained coders who are blind to target side. Gaze location will be observed every 33 ms from 300 ms after onset to 2000 ms after target word onset, for a total of 51 observations per trial. Analyses will focus on differences across trial types and child characteristics in the trajectory of gaze location over the course of the trial.