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Autism Spectrum DisorderISOLDENCT04078061

Comparative Effectiveness of EIBI and Adaptive ABA for Children With Autism

A study testing MABA and EIBI in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by University of Rochester at 5 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Approximately 15,000 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in military families currently receive applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions through TRICARE insurance. This includes early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), which involves 20 or more hours per week of individualized instruction based on… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 months to 5 years
Conditions the study is for
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is being tested?
MABA and EIBI
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
56 participants
Where
5 sitesUnited States
Study dates
22 Aug 2019to 30 Sep 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 months to 5 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of ASD based on expert evaluation, including both: (1) Confirmation by a research-reliable administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2), OR confirmation by a routine clinical assessment and observation when a research-reliable ADOS-2 is not able to be collected due to COVID-19 restrictions, and (2) A symptom checklist based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition
  • In process of being approved or already approved through TRICARE for ABA services
  • Not yet receiving ABA services
  • With no plans to move location for the 6 month intervention period
  • Medications have been stable for the 6 weeks prior to enrollment in the study
  • Family demonstrates proficiency in written and spoken English

Who cannot join

  • Diagnosis of genetic disorders known to be associated with ASD such as Fragile X, Down syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis
  • Severe motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy that prevents walking or any diagnosis which might prevent standard implementation of the intervention
  • Profound uncorrected vision or hearing loss

Trial locations and contacts

5 sites in 1 country.

5 sites in 1 country

United States5 sites
  • Cleveland Clinic

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44145

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, Ohio, 43081

  • May Institute

    Jacksonville, North Carolina, 28546

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37212

  • May Institute

    Richmond, Virginia, 23230

Other trials in United States

About this study

Approximately 15,000 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in military families currently receive applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions through TRICARE insurance. This includes early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), which involves 20 or more hours per week of individualized instruction based on ABA and is often considered the standard of care for toddlers and preschoolers with ASD. More recently, research has found that less intensive, time limited ABA interventions can effectively target specific core and associated features of ASD. With these latest data, the investigators assert that an individualized approach to adapting and combining targeted interventions could be at least as effective as EIBI, yet substantially reduce expenditures of time and resources. The investigators call this approach adaptive, modular ABA (MABA), and propose to compare EIBI as usual, provided for approximately 20 hours per week, and MABA, provided for up to 10 hours per week, in a 24-week RCT of 132 children with ASD, under age 5 years, in military families. The investigators hypothesize that, at the end of intervention, MABA will be no less effective than EIBI as usual, or only slightly so, on the primary outcome measure (a standardized measure of adaptive skills). The primary investigators also hypothesize that, at follow-ups conducted 24 weeks after intervention and 90 weeks and/or when children are 5 years old, MABA will be superior to EIBI on primary and secondary child outcomes (tests of cognitive and language function, parent- and provider-rated ASD symptoms and adaptive skills) and on parent outcomes (parent stress and sense of competence).

Read the detailed description

Background: Approximately 15,000 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in military families currently receive applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions through TRICARE insurance. This includes early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI), which involves 20 or more hours per week of individualized instruction based on ABA and is often considered the standard of care for toddlers and preschoolers with ASD. Research indicates that EIBI accelerates development of cognitive and adaptive skills in many children with ASD. However, the evidence base has important gaps, notably a dearth of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), limited data on whether EIBI reduces ASD symptoms, and few studies on outcomes of EIBI in community settings such as private agencies where most children with ASD receive services. In addition, EIBI is expensive and requires a substantial commitment of time and effort from children and families.

More recently, research has found that less intensive, time limited ABA interventions can effectively target specific core and associated features of ASD. With these latest data, the investigators assert that an individualized approach to adapting and combining targeted interventions could be at least as effective as EIBI, yet substantially reduce expenditures of time and resources. The investigators call this approach adaptive, modular ABA (MABA).

Objectives/Hypotheses: Investigators propose to compare EIBI as usual, provided for approximately 20 hours per week, and MABA, provided for up to 10 hours per week, in a 24-week RCT of 132 children with ASD, under age 5 years, in military families. They hypothesize that, at the end of intervention, MABA will be no less effective than EIBI as usual, or only slightly so, on the primary outcome measure (a standardized measure of adaptive skills). Investigators also hypothesize that, at follow-ups conducted 24 weeks after intervention and 90 weeks and/or when children are 5 years old, MABA will be superior to EIBI on primary and secondary child outcomes (tests of cognitive and language function, parent- and provider-rated ASD symptoms and adaptive skills) and on parent outcomes (parent stress and sense of competence).

Specific Aims: The primary aim is to compare EIBI and MABA on key child and parent outcomes after 24 weeks of intervention, at a 24 week follow-up (week 48), and at age 5 years and/or 90 weeks. The investigators also intend to explore whether child functioning and family environment moderate the effects of intervention, and examine potential facilitators and barriers to future implementation of MABA (e.g., parent and provider buy-in, fidelity of intervention, cost).

Design: 132 children with ASD will be randomized to receive 24 weeks of either 1) EIBI as usual for approximately 20 hours per week or 2) MABA in which children start with intervention focused on social communication 5 hours per week for 4 weeks and then, depending on clinical evaluation of their response, either continue in this intervention or receive augmented intervention for 20 weeks, up to 10 hours per week. Both EIBI and MABA use a tiered delivery system in which trained paraprofessionals provide most of the direct intervention under the supervision of licensed or credentialed professionals. Participants will be recruited from 4 sites that have longstanding relationships with nearby military bases: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and May Institute. Experts on military families will advise the study team on implementation of the study. Child outcome measures assess 1) adaptive skills, 2) ASD symptoms, 3) cognition, and 4) language. Parent outcome measures assess caregiver stress and sense of competence. Linear mixed models (LMMs) will be used to contrast the two interventions in terms of change in outcomes on each measure from baseline through the primary endpoint (end of intervention at Week 24) and at follow-up evaluations. To explore moderators, investigators will augment the LMMs with standard moderated (i.e., covariate-by-treatment) regression analyses. To examine implementation, investigators will compare EIBI and MABA on implementation variables such as buy-in, fidelity, and cost.

Being tested
MABA, EIBI
Keywords
Autism Spectrum Disorder, EIBI, ABA
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • MABABehavioural

    Adaptive, modular, behavioral intervention.

  • EIBIBehavioural

    Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention

Study groups in NCT04078061
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
MABAActive comparatorNot described
Receives: Behavioral: MABA
EIBIActive comparatorNot described
Receives: Behavioral: EIBI

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS-3)

    The investigators hypothesize that MABA will be no less effective than EIBI when children are assessed using the (VABS-3). The VABS-3 assesses adaptive skills in three domains: Communication, Daily Living Skills, and Socialization. It was selected as the primary outcome because (1) it measures coping with everyday settings, which can be considered the best indicator of intervention success, (2) it was recently normed with a nationally representative sample of 2560 parents with excellent reliability and validity, (3) it is an outcome measure that is suitable for the developmental level of the participants, (4) it is deemed by the TRICARE Operations Manual to be reliable and valid, (5) investigators have empirically identified the minimal clinically important difference in VABS-3 standard scores for children with ASD. Thus, the VABS-3 is uniquely suited for testing our primary hypothesis that MABA will be no less effective than EIBI.

    Measured: Baseline, Week4, Week 12, Week24, Week48, Week 90, Age 5

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Change in ASD symptoms using the Ohio Autism Clinical Impressions Scale (OACIS)

    OACIS is an expansion of the Clinical Global Impressions scale that takes about 20 minutes to complete. Rather than giving one overall rating for severity and one overall rating for improvement (as is done with the CGI), providers rate severity and improvement on a 7-point Likert scale in 10 domains: ASD symptoms, social interaction, aberrant behaviors, repetitive behaviors, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, hyperactivity, anxiety, sensory sensitivity, and restricted, narrow interests. This scale will be used in two different ways: (1) it will be administered by the clinician for use in the tailoring aspect of the MABA intervention arm as described above, (2) it will be administered by treatment blind independent evaluators with this separate administration to be used in the analysis of secondary child outcomes.

    Measured: Baseline, Week4, Week 12, Week24, Week48

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Sep 2019
  2. Study start22 Aug 2019
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2023
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participating children will be randomized to EIBI or MABA with equal probability. All randomizations will occur within site and will be further stratified on 1) baseline Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-3 (VABS-3) Composite SS (\>65 vs ≤65) and 2) age (\<3yrs vs. \>3yrs). This procedure will ensure that treatment groups are balanced for these two baseline variables, which are known to correlate highly with outcome during- and post-treatment. The project statistician will use blocked randomization with randomly selected blocks of size 4, 6 and 8 to generate each allocation sequence. All block-randomized allocation sequences will be concealed from all other study personnel.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
56 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04078061
Sponsor's protocol ID
W81XWH-18-1-0790
Acronym
ISOLDE
Status last verified
Oct 2023
First submitted
20 Aug 2019
Last updated
31 Oct 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Levato L, Hochheimer S, Wang H, Wallace L, Hyman S, Anderson C, Warren Z, Butter E, Martin R, Lee E, Smith T, Johnson C. Parent Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating a Modular Behavioral Intervention for Young Autistic Children. Autism Res. 2025 Mar;18(3):675-683. doi: 10.1002/aur.70013. Epub 2025 Feb 24.

    PubMed 39989401

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing MABA and EIBI in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by University of Rochester at 5 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Oct 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 5 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS-3) (time frame: Baseline, Week4, Week 12, Week24, Week48, Week 90, Age 5). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04078061, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Oct 2023.

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ISOLDE Clinical Trial NCT04078061 | AzTrials