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Autism
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Early Steps Study
Core Function: Research and Evaluation
Researchers at the University of Washington want to learn more about outcomes for very young children who are showing early signs of autism. The information gained in this study may improve methods of intervention for infants who may be at risk for developing autism and lead to better outcomes for these young children and their families.
In conjunction with researchers at the University of California - Davis and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, researchers at the University of Washington will assess infants participating in this study. Families who qualify for the study will be seen for up to 4 sets of evaluations over the course of 2.5 years. We will monitor all children over the course of the study and be able to give references for resources in the community. All qualifying families will be randomized into two groups. One group will receive a UW provided intervention and the other group will be able to choose any intervention available in the greater Seattle community. We randomize families in this way in order to be able to determine how the new intervention compares with treatment available in the community.
Families in the UW-provided intervention will begin with a 12 week parent training where a main caregiver and the child will attend weekly sessions at the University of Washington. Families in the UW-provided treatment who still qualify for the study after the 12 week parent training, will be offered 20 hours a week of in-home intervention for two years by UW trained therapists.
Families in the Assessment and Monitoring group will be given references to services in the greater Seattle area. They will be able to choose which therapy they wish from the services that are available to them. All families will be seen for the four evaluations during the duration of the study (2.5 years). We will be able to provide feedback as to each child's progress and go over each child's strengths and weaknesses with parents. |
