A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Treatments for Verbal
Communication Basic & Clinical This study will examine the
relative effectiveness of two communication interventions on the
production of speech in 40 preschool children with ASD (3 to 6
years) who are pre-linguistic i.e. produce fewer than 10
different words. The two experimental treatments will be added
to whatever interventions the child is receiving the community.
The primary aim is to assess the effectiveness of a direct
speech-focused treatment versus a naturalistic approach on the
production of speech and the adaptive use of verbal
communication. The study will also determine the effect of a
parent-delivered generalization program on the maintenance of
gains of the interventions provided. The two treatments that
will be compared are a direct speech-focused treatment, the
Rapid Motor Imitation Training, that reinforces motor imitation
(and later targets verbal requests and labels) versus a
naturalistic approach the Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching