Telehealth parent coaching and provider training to improve care access for young children with autism
Improving Barriers to Care Access for Children With Autism and Related Needs Via Telehealth for Evaluation, Care Navigating, and Caregiver Coaching
This project will test whether provider training plus short telehealth parent coaching can help children ages 1–5 who are waiting for an autism diagnosis or services and reduce caregiver stress.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Ages | 1 Year and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Minnesota Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Minneapolis, Minnesota) |
| Trial ID | NCT07520838 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The program trains community providers in a supplemental Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) delivered by telehealth and offers brief parent coaching sessions. Providers in lead or supervising roles will be prepared to support caregivers, and enrolled families will complete about three 30-minute coaching sessions over 12 weeks plus pre- and post-intervention measures. Eligible children are ages 1–5 who are awaiting diagnosis or intervention and are not currently receiving intensive (≥10 hours/week) EIBI. The project also tests telehealth delivery models to reach geographically dispersed, highly mobile, or military-connected families.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are children aged 1–5 who are waiting for an autism diagnosis or services, have at least one caregiver able to join telehealth sessions, and are not currently receiving intensive EIBI.
Not a fit: Children already receiving intensive early intervention (10+ hours per week) or families unable to participate in telehealth sessions are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could expand access to early coaching, improve child communication and behavior, and reduce caregiver stress for families who have trouble reaching in-person services.
How similar studies have performed: Previous telehealth parent coaching and NDBI-based programs have shown promising improvements in child communication and parent outcomes, though evidence is less robust for geographically dispersed and military-connected populations.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Provider Inclusion Criteria: * Providers to participate who are in "lead" or supervising roles (e.g., clinical supervisors, lead therapists, level II/level I EIDBI providers), * Participating providers are encouraged to have a master's degree or higher, be level I, or serve as a level II provider with established experience (e.g.,supporting families who speak another language or be certified by a tribal government) however, this decision is up to the participating organization Child/Caregiver Inclusion Criteria: * Child between ages 1 to 5 * Waiting for either ASD diagnosis or intervention, * At least one caregiver (approved by the parent) willing to participate * Ability to complete approximately three, 30 min sessions over 12 weeks and to complete pre and post study measures * Child may not be currently receiving intensive (10 or more hours a week) or early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), but may be on a waitlist for these services, and can be enrolled in Early Childhood Special Education services Parts B and C, and auxiliary services such as speech, physical, and occupational therapy. Child/Caregiver Exclusion Criteria: * Children will be assessed through an eligibility screener to determine if they have challenging behavior that may be dangerous. Families will be assessed to determine eligibility through a screener, several of the questions will be aimed to identify challenging behavior severity, behaviors including topographies such as eye gouging and other forms of severe self-injury or aggression that cause significant or dangerous tissue damage (e.g., such as breaking the skin, drawing blood, open wounds that could be infected, or leaves a contusion, visits to an emergency room or hospitalization due to challenging behavior) to a child or others may be considered too severe to participate in the study. * Families will also be asked if a participating caregiver is pregnant, if they indicate yes, they will still be eligible to participate with their child, but certain activities may be skipped if the child engages in challenging behavior, such as aggressive behavior.
Where this trial is running
Minneapolis, Minnesota
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jessica Simacek, PhD — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Jessica Simacek, PhD
- Email: sima0034@umn.edu
- Phone: 612-624-1450
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.