Social communication therapy for children at risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties: Protocol for a clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Adverse environments are significant risk factors for childhood neurodevelopmental problems.
• Social communication abilities are protective factors for healthy neurodevelopment in children.
• Early interventions targeting social communication may mitigate risks in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the efficacy of Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) in improving social communication development.
• To evaluate PACT's impact on young children at risk for neurodevelopmental difficulties living in poverty in Brazil.
• To explore the neural mechanisms underlying PACT's effects on social interaction.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 160 child-caregiver dyads aged 2-4 years from impoverished areas of São Paulo, Brazil.
• Participants had lower-than-average social communication abilities (standard scores ≤84 on Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales).
• Dyads were randomized to receive 12 sessions of PACT or 5 months of usual community support plus psychoeducation, with pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to measure parent-child interaction, parent-reported social communication abilities, and neurophysiological activity.
• Primary and secondary outcomes will be compared between the PACT group and the control group.
• Results will indicate PACT's effectiveness in enhancing social communication and its neural correlates.

Conclusions:

• This study may inform the development of novel interventions for vulnerable young children in Brazil.
• Findings could enhance understanding of the neural mechanisms through which PACT influences social communication.
• PACT demonstrates potential as an effective intervention for improving social communication in at-risk children facing socioeconomic adversity.