Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa A Study of Non-Specialist Delivered Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism Conducted by Duke University

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a community-based early intervention program designed to improve the quality of life for young children with autism and their families in South Africa. This study focuses on training caregivers through coaching delivered by non-specialist Early Childhood Development practitioners, addressing the shortage of specialists in Africa. The coaching uses a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) adapted to the South African context and aims to assess its real-world effectiveness, cost, and implementation factors while including diverse cultural perspectives. The intervention involves 12 one-hour caregiver coaching sessions based on the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) principles, adapted for non-specialist delivery. Caregivers are taught strategies to enhance their child's social attention, communication, and engagement through everyday activities. The study compares this coaching approach to usual care, with sessions delivered by trained non-specialists within established community settings. The project also explores how caregiver and child characteristics affect response to the intervention and compares autism-related behaviors cross-culturally. Participants will engage in assessments at baseline, 4 months, and 6 months, including standardized communication and developmental measures like the VABS-3 and Griffiths III scales. Researchers will monitor changes in caregiver-child interactions and autism-related behaviors using digital tools and observational scores. The study includes safety and feasibility evaluations, with the total participation spanning at least six months. Data collected will inform scaling up early autism interventions in Africa and enhance research capacity in the region.

Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa