Helping young children with autism develop language skills

Personalized, Responsive Intervention Sequences for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism (PRISM)

NIH-funded research University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10565679

This study is looking for preschool kids aged 3-4 with autism who don’t talk much, and it’s all about finding the best ways to help them learn to speak better by trying out different personalized strategies that change as they grow and respond to treatment.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California Los Angeles NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Los Angeles, United States)
Project IDNIH-10565679 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research focuses on preschool children aged 3-4 years with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally verbal. It aims to create personalized intervention strategies that adapt over time based on each child's unique response to treatment. By using a two-stage, 20-week adaptive intervention approach, the project seeks to enhance language development in these children, potentially helping them to become more verbal by school age. The study involves multiple sites to gather diverse data and improve intervention effectiveness.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are preschool children aged 3-4 years who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and are minimally verbal.

Not a fit: Children who are already verbal or do not have autism spectrum disorder may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve language outcomes for preschoolers with autism, helping them to communicate more effectively.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown promise in using adaptive interventions for language development in older children with autism, but this approach for younger, minimally verbal children is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.