背景:大约30%的自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童即使经过多年的演讲,也不会发展出功能性言语,并且保持非言语或最低程度的言语,语言和教育干预。已经开发了广泛的干预措施来改善ASD的沟通,但是没有一个被证明能有效地激发ASD儿童的功能性语言。研究发现,患有ASD的人更有可能拥有完美的音高,并且更喜欢音乐而不是语言。Further,语言延迟似乎与更好的音乐技能同时出现。大脑成像研究发现,音乐和单词一起增加了ASD患者对口语的关注。
方法:在本协议中,我们描述了我们的音乐辅助程序(MAP),它将使用音乐来吸引ASD患者的注意力。MAP可能会打开大脑与语言的通路,因此比标准通信协议更有助于提高ASD患者的沟通技巧。特别是,我们的目标是开发和测试是否个性化,容易使用的MAP会增加24-60个月大的人的口语,患有ASD的非语言或最低语言儿童。我们将开发一种结构化的培训方法,通过自然主义传递,向ASD儿童教授语言的互动活动(例如歌曲)。我们将通过比较两组来对此进行测试:一组进行音乐辅助节目,另一个以NHS诊所推荐的方式接受言语和语言治疗。参与者将被随机分配到组。将通过对招聘和保留率的估计来评估MAP的可行性,结果测量的敏感性和可靠性,试验的强度和频率,MAP应用程序(测试版)的可用性,以及孩子和父母的评估负担。
结论:这项可行性随机对照试验将确定MAP干预改善ASD儿童早期单词学习的可接受性并评估其功效。从长远来看,这项研究将帮助我们为ASD儿童的父母或照顾者开发应用程序,以设计自己的歌曲并实现自己的个性化MAP。
背景:ISRCTN,ISRCTN12536062。2019年6月26日注册。
BACKGROUND: About 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not develop functional speech and remain non-verbal or minimally verbal even after years of speech, language and educational interventions. A wide range of interventions have been developed for improving communication in ASD, but none have proved effective in eliciting functional language in ASD children. Research has found that people with ASD are more likely to have perfect pitch and prefer music to language. Further, it seems that language delay tends to co-occur with better musical skills. Brain imaging research has found that music alongside words increases the attention that people with ASD pay to spoken words.
METHODS: In this protocol, we describe our music-assisted programmes (MAP) that will use music to attract the attention of people with ASD to speech. MAP may open the brain pathways to language and therefore help improve communication skills for people with ASD more than standard communication protocols. In particular, we aim to develop and test whether individualised, easily used MAP would increase spoken language in 24-60-month-old, nonverbal or minimally verbal children with ASD. We will develop a structured training method, delivered through naturalistic, interactive activities (e.g. songs) to teach language to ASD children. We will test this by comparing two groups: one undertaking music-assisted programmes, and the other receiving speech and language therapy in the way that is recommended in NHS clinics. Participants will be allocated to groups randomly. The feasibility of MAP will be assessed through estimations of recruitment and retention rates, the sensitivity and reliability of the outcome measures, the intensity and frequency of the
trial, the usability of the MAP app (beta version), and the burden of the assessments for the children and parents.
CONCLUSIONS: This feasibility randomised controlled
trial will establish the acceptability and estimate the power of the MAP intervention to improve early word learning in children with ASD. In the longer term, this research will help us develop an app for parents or carers of children with ASD to design their own songs and implement their own individualised MAP.
BACKGROUND: ISRCTN, ISRCTN12536062 . Registered on 26 June 2019.