Improving communication and reducing destructive behavior in children with developmental disabilities

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study focuses on children aged 3 to 17 who exhibit severe destructive behaviors, such as self-injury and aggression, often associated with developmental disabilities. It employs functional communication training (FCT) to teach children alternative communication methods while reducing destructive behaviors through reinforcement schedule thinning. The study aims to enhance the effectiveness of FCT by introducing two innovative methods to accelerate schedule thinning and reduce the risk of treatment relapse. By addressing the challenges of implementing these interventions in real-world settings, the study seeks to improve the quality of life for affected children and their families.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* boys and girls from ages 3 to 17
* destructive behavior that occurs at least 10 times a day, despite previous treatment
* destructive behavior reinforced by social consequences
* stable protective supports for self-injurious behavior (e.g., helmet) with no anticipated changes during enrollment
* on a stable psychoactive drug regimen for at least 10 half-lives per drug or drug free
* stable educational plan and placement with no anticipated changes during the child's treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

* patients who do not meet the inclusion criteria
* patients currently receiving 15 or more hours per week of treatment for their destructive behavior
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 diagnosis of Rett syndrome or other degenerative conditions (e.g., inborn error of metabolism)
* a comorbid health condition or major mental disorder that would interfere with study participation
* occurrence of self-injury during study assessments that presents a risk of serious or permanent harm (e.g., detached retinas) based on routine clinical-risk assessment
* patients requiring changes to protective supports for self-injury or drug treatment, but investigators will invite these patients to participate when protective supports and drug regimen are stable

Where it's running

• Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center
  New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States Recruiting
• Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
  Somerset, New Jersey, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Brian D Greer, Ph.D. — Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• Study coordinator: Brian D Greer, Ph.D.
• Email: brian.greer@rutgers.edu
• Phone: 8488008505

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• ctDNA-guided stopping of immune therapy in advanced melanoma

  This study tests whether stopping immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy after 12 months is safe for patients with advanced melanoma who have undetectable ctDNA and disease control.

  Recruiting Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · New Brunswick, New Jersey · NCT07830225

• Personalized brain-targeted TMS for smoking cessation

  A personalized brain-guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) approach is tested against a standard TMS method to see if it better changes reward brain activity and reduces cravings and smoking in adults with tobacco use disorder.

  Recruiting Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · Newark, New Jersey · NCT07812753

• Luminal Bladder Cancer: Testing Neoadjuvant Therapy vs Immediate Surgery in Luminal MIBC

  We’re testing whether moving straight to radical cystectomy is safe and effective for patients with luminal muscle-invasive bladder cancer compared to the standard neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · New Brunswick, New Jersey · NCT07762586

• Genetics of Blood Cancers in the U.S. population

  This study tests how genetic factors relate to blood cancers by collecting saliva DNA and online health surveys from at least 10,000 U.S. adults.

  Recruiting Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · Piscataway, New Jersey · NCT07714044

• Sun Safe Together: a digital skin cancer prevention approach for teens and their parents

  A small, single-arm trial will test whether a 12-week digital program using teen MMS messages and a private Facebook group for parents can feasibly and acceptably improve sun safety among adolescents and their parents.

  Recruiting Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · New Brunswick, New Jersey · NCT07681791

• Exercise and nasal insulin in Type 2 diabetes: does adding insulin spray help the brain more

  In older adults with Type 2 diabetes, researchers are testing whether combining regular exercise with an intranasal insulin spray improves brain blood flow and thinking abilities more than exercise with a placebo spray.

  Recruiting at 4 sites Phase 2/3 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · New Brunswick, New Jersey and 3 other locations · NCT07675499

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.