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Brain training: behavioral therapy may rewire social circuits in autistic toddlers

NCT ID NCT03427138

Disease control Sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study investigates whether a 10-week behavioral intervention called JASPER can improve early communication skills and alter brain activity in toddlers and preschoolers with autism. Participants aged 18 to 59 months receive twice-weekly sessions focused on joint attention and play. Researchers measure changes using EEG brain scans, eye-tracking, and behavioral assessments to see if therapy affects the mirror neuron system.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a behavioral intervention called JASPER (Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement Regulation)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that early behavioral therapy changes both social communication skills and brain function in young children with autism.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with no control group, so results may not be generalizable. The intervention requires significant parent and child commitment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

89 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2016

Finished

Aug 2022

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 59 months

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Children between the ages of 18 and 59 months with a confirmed or suspected DSM5 diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder * The included parents or guardians are required to be the primary caregivers of these children * Families must speak English in the home at least 75% of the time. Exclusion Criteria: * Seizure disorder (may influence EEG data) * Gestational age \<32 weeks * History of serious head trauma * Genetic syndrome (e.g., fragile X syndrome)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism spectrum disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Autism spectrum disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Boston University

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

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