Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to Promote Social Communication and Behaviour in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that can be delivered in a home setting. It is a safe and tolerable intervention that has shown promise for improving positive social communication and self-regulation in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Previous studies have been limited by small and poorly represented samples, lack of experimental control, insufficient follow-up periods, inadequate blinding and the absence of neural outcome measures. Our project will collect pilot data on the effects of home-based tDCS on reducing disruptive behaviours in youth with ASD, in order to inform the design of a follow-up full-scale clinical trial. We will recruit youth with ASD who experience clinically significant difficulties with social communication and self-regulation. Participants will be randomized to tDCS or sham control stimulation for 3 weeks. We will measure the effect of tDCS on the brain mechanisms and clinical measures of social communication and self-regulation..

Inclusion criteria

• Children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and self-regulation impairment or social communication challenges
• Able to participate in tDCS

Exclusion criteria

• Children with contraindications to tDCS (history of seizures, family history of seizures, metal implants)
• Co-existing neurological conditions (epilepsy, stroke, etc.)