NCT05707923

How Simplified Language Affects Comprehension and Learning in Young Autistic Children

How Single-Word and Telegraphic Simplification Affects Language Processing and Word Learning in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 104 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Michigan State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 1 Year – 4 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The long-term study goal is to experimentally evaluate the components (and likely active ingredients) of early language interventions for young children with ASD. The overall objective is to determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects real-time language processing and word learning in young children with ASD (relative to full, grammatical utterances). The proposed project will investigate three specific aims: 1) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects language processing. 2) Determine how single-word and telegraphic simplification affects word learning. 3) Evaluate child characteristics that may moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that children with ASD will process full, grammatical utterances faster and more accurately than single-word or telegraphic utterances. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that full, grammatical utterances will support word learning better than telegraphic or single-word utterances. Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that language and cognitive skills significantly moderate the effects of linguistic simplification on language processing and word learning in young children with ASD.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Linguistic simplification	Children will participate in screen-based language processing and word learning tasks in which they hear utterances with different types and amounts of linguistic simplification (i.e., a within-group manipulation).

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-06-01
• Primary completion: 2027-05-31
• Completion: 2027-05-31
• First posted: 2023-02-01
• Last updated: 2025-04-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States