Digital Personalized AI Based Platform Training Parents and Therapist to Develop Children with autism everyday Interaction

Project Information

SocialMind

Grant agreement ID: 101072126

DOI

10.3030/101072126

Project closed

EC signature date 24 May 2022

Start date 1 July 2022

End date 30 June 2023

Funded under

• European innovation ecosystems

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 75 000,00

Coordinated by

SOCIALMIND LTD
Israel

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SocialMind (Digital Personalized AI Based Platform Training Parents and Therapist to Develop Children with autism everyday Interaction)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project's primary objective was to conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a digital parent training program for parents of children with ASD. The project aimed to address the pressing need for accessible and evidence-based interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. By utilizing digital technology, the project sought to provide parents with effective tools and strategies, including video feedback, to support their child's communication and social skills development.

The overarching goal of the project was to assess the impact of the digital parent training program on improving the communication skills of children with ASD. By empowering parents and equipping them with evidence-based strategies, the project aimed to improve the developmental trajectory of children with ASD with difficulties in using spoken language, to improve their ability to communicate with their parents and thus to enhance the quality of life for both the children and their families. The clinical trial design allowed for rigorous evaluation of the intervention, providing valuable insights into its effectiveness, feasibility, and potential for wider implementation.

By conducting this clinical trial, the project aimed to contribute to bridging the research-practice gap in ASD interventions; the method was shifting the evidence based therapy skills to parents though digital solutions that can be widely accessible to them. The expected impact of the project was to provide a scalable and effective tool that trains parents in developing their children with ASD, ultimately improving their communication skills and enhancing their overall development and well-being.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project involved designing and implementing a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the digital parent training program. Parents were provided with access to digital modules and were guided in implementing evidence-based strategies for their children with ASD. The parents uploaded home videos of themselves implementing strategies with their child, and received video-feedback synchronized to the moments of interaction. The control group received by-weekly support in an online parent group, including parental education from a licensed BCBA. The study assessed the impact of the training on children's communication skills, parental fidelity to the strategies, and overall satisfaction. The main achievements of the project included positive outcomes in children's communicative behaviors and language skills, improved parental fidelity to the intervention strategies, and high satisfaction among parents who participated in the digital training. The measures used to measure outcomes were scientifically valid tests collected from video probes and questionnaires.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project's results have significant potential impacts. They contribute to the advancement of evidence-based interventions for ASD by demonstrating the effectiveness of a digital parent trainer. We demonstrated that by deconstructing complex behaviors into simple and small building blocks, and by supplying video feedback, effective evidence-based therapies can reach many more children via their parents. This is a significant improvement over the situation today, where treatment relies on a too small pool of professionals. We proved that a digital platrofrm, by relying on students trained to give feedback and by breaking up complex interventions into simple steps, can open the bottleneck of the too small number of professionals and make effective therapy available to any child whose parent owns a smart phone.
The findings highlight the feasibility and scalability of delivering interventions through digital platforms, thereby increasing accessibility and reach. The project also emphasizes the importance of parental involvement and empowerment in ASD interventions, promoting a family-centered approach to therapy. Further uptake and success of the results require continued research, demonstration, and access to resources such as finance and supportive regulatory frameworks.

The primary outcomes of this study focused on key measures: communication events, joint attention and length of utterance. The average length of utterance in the test group, measured in whole words, increase by 0.74 and decreased (ie was shorter at the end of the trial) by 0.15 in the control group. The average number of responsive communication from the child in a ten minute period increased in the test group by 11.0 and decreased (was made lower) in the control group by 0.33 the average number of initiative communications of the child in a ten minute period increased in the test group by 27.0 and increased in the control group by 16.2 and the average number of joint attention events in a ten minute period increased in the test group by 9.8 and in the control group by 3.8.