Recruiting

Speech Treatment

Sponsor:

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Code:

NCT05066178

Conditions

Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 5 - 18

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism

Study Details

Brief summary:

Comorbid Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) may be one factor that limits speech development in some minimally verbal children with autism. CAS is a disorder affecting speech movement planning. This study tests whether CAS-specific treatment, appropriately modified for minimally verbal children with autism, improves their speech.

Conditions

Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study ID

NCT05066178

Start date

May 1, 2024

Status verified date

Mar, 2026

Completion date

Nov 30, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Apr 30, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 5 - 18

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Meets criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Able to correctly repeat at least 2 syllables
  • Meets criteria for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
  • Lives in an environment where child is exposed to English at least 50% of the time

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Poorly controlled seizures
  • Factors such as blindness or deafness that contribute to minimally verbal status
  • Lives in an environment where English is not spoken at least 50% of the time
  • Child experiences behavioral challenges that preclude participation in the study

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: CAS Treatment for MV ASD

Participants will receive CAS treatment, modified for minimally verbal children with autism

Interventions

CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism

Treatment involves principles of motor learning embedded in a naturalistic developmental milieu

Primary outcome measure

  • Attempts Correct [ Time Frame: 5 weeks ]
  • Phonemes Correct [ Time Frame: 5 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Karen V Chenausky, Ph.D.

617-726-2405kvchenausky@mghihp.edu

Michael Moody

617-643-4658mjmoody@partners.org

Locations

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02129

Contacts

Steve Meyer

617-726-2405ihpspanlab@mghb.org

Karen Chenausky, PhD

kvchenausky@mghihp.edu

Principal Investigator:

Karen V Chenausky, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Last update posted

Mar 30, 2026

Last verified

Mar, 2026

Keywords

  • childhood apraxia of speech
  • autism
  • motor speech disorder
  • speech development

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by MGH Institute of Health Professions on 2026-03-30.