Milieu Teaching-AV (MT-AV Pilot)

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Autism Sibling; Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Registration Number: NCT06794476
• Lead Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Brief Summary

This project will look at whether a novel approach to language intervention that encourages looking to audiovisual speech cues for infants with autistic older siblings (Baby Sibs), who are highly likely be diagnosed with autism or developmental language disorder (DLD). This study will specifically look at (a) whether caregivers find this approach to be easy to implement in their homes, (b) whether they find this approach to be acceptable, and (c) whether caregivers use the taught strategies in interactions with their infants.

Detailed Description

This project will test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel approach to language intervention based on Milieu Teaching (Milieu Teaching-AV) that encourages looking to audiovisual speech cues for infants with autistic older siblings (Sibs-autism), who are highly likely be diagnosed with autism or developmental language disorder (DLD). The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are:

1. Can caregivers be trained in Milieu Teaching-AV, such that they are using the trained strategies in play with their infant children?

2. Do caregivers find these procedures to be acceptable and feasible to use in their everyday life.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-12-26
• Status Verified: 2025-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-01-20
• Study First Posted: 2025-01-27
• Study Start: 2025-01-30
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-13
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-18
• Primary Completion: 2025-12
• Study Completion: 2025-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 8

Inclusion Criteria

• an older sibling with an autism diagnosis, confirmed by either (a) a detailed developmental interview and administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule or (b) by record review
• monolingual English-speaking household

Exclusion Criteria

• adverse neurological history
• known genetic condition
• pre-term birth (gestation < 37 weeks)
• caregiver report of a diagnosed vision impairment or hearing loss

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Caregiver strategy use	From enrollment to the end of the treatment (i.e., all baseline and treatment sessions, up to 20 weeks)	Proportion of milieu teaching trials during a caregiver-child free play session wherein the caregiver moves the referent of the child's lead towards the mouth

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Caregiver attitudes on the feasibility of Milieu Teaching-AV - Quantitative	At the conclusion of the treatment (i.e., following all intervention sessions; up to 20 weeks)	Caregiver attitudes towards the feasibility of this approach will be conducted via the Feasibility Intervention Measure Score (range of scores = 4-20)
Caregiver attitudes on the acceptability of Milieu Teaching-AV - Quantitative	At the conclusion of the treatment (i.e., following all intervention sessions; up to 20 weeks)	Caregiver attitudes towards the feasibility of this approach will be conducted via the Acceptability of Intervention Measure Score (range of scores = 4-20)
Caregiver attitudes on the acceptability of Milieu Teaching-AV - Qualitative	At the conclusion of the treatment (i.e., following all intervention sessions; up to 20 weeks)	Caregiver attitudes towards the acceptability of this approach will be conducted via the coding of a qualitative interview.
Caregiver attitudes on the feasibility of Milieu Teaching-AV - Qualitative	At the conclusion of the treatment (i.e., following all intervention sessions; up to 20 weeks)	Caregiver attitudes towards the feasibility of this approach will be conducted via the coding of a qualitative interview.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Nashville, Tennessee, United States