What is the purpose of this study? Dr. Annette Estes and researchers at the University of Washington want to learn more about parent-delivered early intervention for very young children with autism symptoms. 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 outcome 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. With the flip of a coin, infants will then be randomly assigned to the Early Start Denver Model parent intervention (ESDM) or to an assessment and monitoring community intervention group. This random assignment allows for the scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of this intervention. Infants will be evaluated at the end of the intervention period, and again six months later to assess the effectiveness of the interventions.

How can I participate? What are the criteria?

Your child can participate if:

• He or she is 12 – 24 months old and has symptoms of autism (a diagnosis is not required)
• Your family lives within 30 minutes driving of the University of Washington
• He or she has English as one primary language, has normal hearing and vision and is not currently enrolled in intensive behavioral treatment

What does participation in the study mean? Participation in the study includes a phone call to determine if this study is a good match for your family, and two assessment visits and a feedback visit to the UW Autism Center every six months for one year. Some families will also received training in a parent-delivered intervention requiring weekly visits to the UW Autism Center for 12 weeks as well as implementing the intervention at home.

What is the time commitment for participation in the study? The initial phone call will take about 30 minutes. Visits to the Autism Center will typically take 1 – 1.5 hours. Every six months your family will be asked to fill out a packet of questionnaires which will take about 2 hours to complete.

What will my family [my child or I] get out of the study? Families who participate will benefit by receiving feedback from a clinical psychologist as to their child’s current developmental level, strengths, and challenges as well as monitoring of their development for one year. In addition, some of the infants will receive free intervention.

What are the risks to participating in this study and what safeguards are in place to minimize any risks? This study is approved by a human subjects committee at the University of Washington and all efforts are made to minimize any potential risks. There are no known psychological or physical risks associated with any of the procedures. Additionally, all researchers at the University of Washington Autism Center are very experienced in working with children with autism and their families.
For those families in the UW treatment group, the parent training component of treatment may be initially uncomfortable. Your interactions with your child will be observed and we will make specific suggestions to change your interactions with your infant. The goal of the intervention, however, is to improve social and communication skills between you and your child and should increase the comfort within this relationship.

Who are the investigators involved in this project?
University of Washington site:
Principal Investigators: Annette Estes, PhD,
Assessment Team Director: Jessica Greenson, Ph.D.
Project Coordinator & Clinician: Lauren Elder, MS
Treatment Team Director: Jamie M. Winter, PhD
Research Assistant: Jeff Lindsey, B.S.
Scheduler: Erin Kipple, BA

UC Davis MIND site:
Principal Investigators: Sally Rogers, PhD, Sally Ozonoff, PhD

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor site:
Principal Investigator: Cathy Lord, Ph.D.

Whom should I contact to get involved?
Name: Erin Kipple
Phone number: 206-616-2889
Email Address: emh2@u.washington.edu
* Note: we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information sent by e-mail
Mailing Address:
Parent Toddler Project
UW Autism Center CHDD
Box 357920 University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195