Optimizing Initial Communication for Children with Autism

优化自闭症儿童的初始沟通

基本信息

批准号：
8042863
负责人：
WILLIAM J MCILVANE
金额：
$ 35.6万
依托单位：
UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2011-09-01 至 2014-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8042863
关键词：
Acoustic Stimulation Age Applied Research Auditory Auditory Perception Augmentative and Alternative Communication Autistic Disorder Behavior Therapy Behavioral Child Clinical Cochlear Implants Cochlear implant procedure Collaborations Communication Complement Comprehension Data Development Devices Discrimination Effectiveness Exhibits Five-Year Plans Foundations Funding Goals Hearing International Intervention Language Lead Learning Maps Methodology Methods Neurodevelopmental Disability Neurodevelopmental Disorder Outcome Population Population Study Procedures Process Research Research Personnel Secure Sensory Deprivation Shapes Source Stimulus Structure Technology Therapeutic Studies Training Translational Research Visual alternative communication auditory discrimination autism spectrum disorder base cost deafness design novel programs response skills theories

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Behavioral Variability Management in Beginning Communicators This application seeks support to continue a long-term program of study aimed at effective management of behavioral variability in response to procedures designed to establish behavioral prerequisites for symbolic communication in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Our primary study population will be children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) who exhibit little or no apparent comprehension of spoken language and whose primary mode of communication is nonverbal. A major goal of our program has been and will continue to be to assess the potential of such children to exhibit true symbolic relations, defined operationally in terms of equivalence between physically dissimilar stimuli (e.g., between symbol and referent). A second goal, emphasized in the present project, will be to uncover and manage sources of behavioral variability in acquisition of symbolic relations. To structure our program, we will extend an approach that has achieved a directly related goal with stimulus equivalence defined by shared physical features (i.e., stimulus relations based on physical identity/similarity). Our targets will include: (a) auditory perception, discrimination, and relational learning, (b) basic and emergent symbol-referent mapping, and (c) intra- and cross-modal equivalence class formation. To supplement and complement our studies of children with ASDs, we will expand an international partnership with researchers in Brasil who are pursuing directly related research. Via this partnership, we will be able to include at little added cost a population of children with pre-lingual deafness who are recent recipients of devices that establish hearing capabilities (e.g., cochlear implants). These children also exhibit variability in acquisition of symbolic relations, thus presenting a contrast population whose symbolic relational deficits are attributable to sensory deprivation rather than ASDs. Results of our studies are likely to have significance not only for theory but also for clinical intervention with children who show deficits in acquiring symbolic relations, particularly those children who are or who may become candidates for augmentative/alternative communication training. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The primary focus of this research is development of foundations for effective communication in children with little or no functional language due to autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. The specific emphasis is on methods to support learning of effective looking and listening skills in such children. We hope that our research will lead to methods that will make outcomes of communication therapy more robust and reliable, and to reach children who currently make little or no progress in communication therapy.

描述（由申请人提供）：初级沟通者的行为变异性管理本申请寻求支持，以继续一项旨在有效管理行为变异性的长期研究计划，以响应旨在为患有神经发育障碍的儿童建立符号沟通的行为先决条件的程序。我们的主要研究人群是患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的儿童，他们对口语的理解很少或根本没有，并且主要的交流方式是非语言。我们计划的一个主要目标一直是并将继续是评估这些儿童表现出真正的象征关系的潜力，这些象征关系在操作上是根据物理上不同的刺激之间的等效性（例如，象征和所指对象之间）来定义的。本项目强调的第二个目标是发现和管理符号关系习得过程中行为变异的来源。为了构建我们的程序，我们将扩展一种方法，该方法已实现与由共享物理特征定义的刺激等效性直接相关的目标（即基于物理身份/相似性的刺激关系）。我们的目标将包括：（a）听觉感知、辨别和关系学习，（b）基本和紧急的符号指涉映射，以及（c）模态内和跨模态等价类形成。为了补充和补充我们对自闭症谱系障碍儿童的研究，我们将扩大与巴西从事直接相关研究的研究人员的国际合作伙伴关系。通过这种伙伴关系，我们将能够以很少的额外成本纳入最近接受了建立听力能力的设备（例如人工耳蜗）的语前性耳聋儿童群体。这些儿童在获得象征关系方面也表现出变异性，因此形成了一个对比群体，他们的象征关系缺陷可归因于感觉剥夺而不是自闭症谱系障碍。我们的研究结果可能不仅对理论具有重要意义，而且对对在获得象征关系方面表现出缺陷的儿童进行临床干预也具有重要意义，特别是那些正在或可能成为增强/替代沟通训练候选者的儿童。公共健康相关性：这项研究的主要重点是为因自闭症或其他神经发育障碍而很少或没有功能性语言的儿童进行有效沟通奠定基础。特别强调的是支持此类儿童学习有效的观察和倾听技能的方法。我们希望我们的研究能够找到一些方法，使沟通治疗的结果更加稳健和可靠，并惠及目前在沟通治疗方面进展甚微或没有进展的儿童。