Recruiting

Finding the best order of parent-led skills training for autistic toddlers

Plain-English translation of NCT05926687 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated January 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing how to best help young children with autism by teaching their parents specific strategies. The study compares two parent-led interventions: one focused on helping your child communicate better, and one focused on managing difficult behaviors. Researchers want to figure out the best order to teach parents these skills so your child gets the most benefit.

Many children with autism have trouble talking and connecting with others, and about 70% also have challenging behaviors. Parents are key to helping their children learn—but it's hard for parents to learn many strategies at once. This trial is testing whether doing one type of training first, then switching to the other or adding more support, works better than other combinations.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

your child is between 18 and 48 months old
your child has been evaluated and shows signs of autism
your child does not have any other known diagnoses or disabilities
your child's vision is normal
your child is exposed to English at least half the time at home
you are willing to learn and practice intervention strategies with a therapist

You likely don't qualify if…

your child has other known diagnoses or disabilities besides autism
your child has vision problems
you do not speak conversational English well enough to understand therapist instruction
you are unable or unwilling to commit to learning new parenting strategies

What participation looks like

You and your child will meet with a therapist for 12-week blocks of training—either one hour twice a week or once a week, depending on which group you're assigned to. After the first 12 weeks, you and your child will be randomly placed into a second phase, which might mean continuing the same training at a different frequency, adding video feedback to help you practice, or switching to focus on behavior management instead. The therapist will teach you specific techniques to use at home with your child.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 2, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

United States

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois