NCT06712784

Behavior Analytic Support of Needle-related Hospital Visits for Autistic Patients

Supporting Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) During Needle-related Hospital Visits Through the Use of Behavior Analytic Strategies

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 10 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Boston Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 3 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the behavior analytic intervention in reducing the number of challenging behaviors exhibited by patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) while increasing compliance with needle-related simulations and procedures. A second purpose is to assess the social validity of this study as evidenced by patient and/or caregiver acceptability. The study wil take place at Boston Medical Center (BMC). A Single Subject Design (SSD) wil be utilized as it allows for detailed, individualized assessment of how interventions affect behavior over time in this type of behavior analytic research. By focusing on each participant as an individual and having each participant act as their own control, it demonstrates clear cause-and-effect relationships, showing how behavior changes with the introduction or withdrawal of an intervention. This method is flexible, enabling ongoing adjustments to treatments based on real-time data, making it particularly useful in personalized interventions and ensuring effectiveness for patients with unique needs such as those who would be eligible to enroll and participate in this study.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Treatment Package (for both simulation and procedure sessions	Treatment Package for both simulation and procedure sessions will include visit priming (contingency specifying stimuli in the form of social stories and YouTube videos) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA).

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-01
• Primary completion: 2027-03-01
• Completion: 2027-03-01
• First posted: 2024-12-02
• Last updated: 2026-04-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States