Study 2: Learning New Words From Overhearing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The goal of this research is to explore abilities to learn word meanings from overheard conversations in children with ASD (and, as a control, typically developing children).

Specific Aim 2 (Experiment 2): Determine whether children with ASD can learn from addressed and overheard teaching via videoconferencing. The investigators will use a similar procedure to Study 1, except that both overheard and directed teaching will take place on video.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

18 month–71 month

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

children with or without a diagnosis of ASD between 18 to 71 months of age

Exclusion criteria

native language is not English born premature (< 36 weeks) has uncorrected hearing or vision impairments has developmental disorders or medical conditions other than ASD that affect language or cognition (excepting psychiatric conditions often comorbid with ASD such as ADHD) has a history of photosensitive epileptic seizures

Treatment and study plan

Overheard Speech

Behavioral

New words are introduced with the child as a bystander rather directly taught.

Addressed Speech

Behavioral

New words are introduced directly to the child by an experimenter.

Primary outcomes

Proportion of Time During Which Children's Eye Gaze is Directed Toward the Target Object

Time frame: immediately after viewing 3-minute interaction

Children's eye gaze is recorded as they look at images. The proportion of time during which gaze is directed to an image of the targeted word is the dependent measure.
Proportion of Time During Which Children's Eye Gaze is Directed Toward the Target Object

Time frame: 5 minutes after viewing interaction

Children's eye gaze is recorded as they look at images. The proportion of time during which gaze is directed to an image of the targeted word is the dependent measure.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

New York University

Other

Collaborators

Emerson College

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2020
Primary completion: 2024
Study completion: 2024
First posted: Jan 14, 2022
Registry last updated: Apr 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed