Developmental Verbal DyspraxiaTxMVASD+CASNCT05066178
Speech Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children With ASD and CAS
A study testing CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism in people with Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by MGH Institute of Health Professions at 1 site in United States.
Trial 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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 5 to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder
- What is being tested?
- CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 May 2024to 30 Nov 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 5 to 18 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- 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
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, Massachusetts, 02129
Steve Meyer, 617-726-2405, ihpspanlab@mghb.org
Karen Chenausky, PhD, kvchenausky@mghihp.edu
About this study
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.
Read the detailed description
Although one in four children with autism remain minimally verbal past age five, not all the factors that limit spoken language in these minimally verbal children are known. One powerful contributor may be a motor speech disorder, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). CAS is an impairment in the ability to plan and sequence for speech, which makes speech inconsistent and imprecise. This project proposes to investigate whether CAS makes the speech of minimally verbal children with autism unintelligible, and then to test whether treating the CAS improves children's speech.
First, a cohort of 20 minimally verbal children with both autism and CAS is identified. The prediction is that the more severe the CAS, the more inconsistent and imprecise a child's speech, and therefore the lower their intelligibility will be. Then, a set of mono- and bisyllabic words is selected that contain the disordered movements that each child shows and use those in treatment.
Treatment will take the form of 15 one-hour sessions where speech practice is embedded in a naturalistic, play-based milieu that is centered on each child's own developmental level. It will involve principles of motor learning (intensive practice of a few words, sometimes all in a row and sometimes mixed up). Different types of cues (touch cues, simultaneous production, etc.) will also be employed to help children say their words correctly, fading back these supports as the child's speech improves. Both of these techniques have been shown to be effective for treating CAS.
Our outcome measures will include both (1) "by-ear" assessments of intelligibility and (2) acoustic and kinematic measurements of children's speech after 15 treatment sessions. The findings will inform clinical practice for minimally verbal children with autism and may lead to the development of novel interventions for this severely affected population.
- Being tested
- CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism
- Keywords
- childhood apraxia of speech, autism, motor speech disorder, speech development
- Medical subject headings
- Apraxias, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autistic Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with AutismBehavioural
Treatment involves principles of motor learning embedded in a naturalistic developmental milieu
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Treatment for MV ASD | Experimental | Participants will receive CAS treatment, modified for minimally verbal children with autism Receives: Behavioral: CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Attempts Correct
Number or percent of target items that were produced correctly
Measured: 5 weeks
Phonemes Correct
Number or percent of phonemes (vowels, consonants) in the target items that were produced correctly
Measured: 5 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Lip aperture movement variability
Amount of variability in lip opening area during production of multiple attempts at the same target
Measured: 5 weeks
Phoneme distinctiveness
Acoustic distinctiveness of different phonemes
Measured: 5 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Oct 2021
- Study start1 May 2024
- Primary completion30 Apr 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Nov 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Developmental Verbal DyspraxiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Multiple-baseline single-case design
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- MGH Institute of Health Professions
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Karen Chenausky, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, MGH Institute of Health Professions
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05066178
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2021P002598
- Acronym
- TxMVASD+CAS
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Sep 2021
- Last updated
- 30 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Speech Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children With ASD and CAS
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05066178
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TxMVASD+CAS / 2021P002598
- Keywords
- childhood apraxia of speech, autism, motor speech disorder, speech development
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- MGH Institute of Health ProfessionsUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2030 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Nov 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
Although one in four children with autism remain minimally verbal past age five, not all the factors that limit spoken language in these minimally verbal children are known. One powerful contributor may be a motor speech disorder, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). CAS is an impairment in the ability to plan and sequence for speech, which makes speech inconsistent and imprecise. This project proposes to investigate whether CAS makes the speech of minimally verbal children with autism unintelligible, and then to test whether treating the CAS improves children's speech.
First, a cohort of 20 minimally verbal children with both autism and CAS is identified. The prediction is that the more severe the CAS, the more inconsistent and imprecise a child's speech, and therefore the lower their intelligibility will be. Then, a set of mono- and bisyllabic words is selected that contain the disordered movements that each child shows and use those in treatment.
Treatment will take the form of 15 one-hour sessions where speech practice is embedded in a naturalistic, play-based milieu that is centered on each child's own developmental level. It will involve principles of motor learning (intensive practice of a few words, sometimes all in a row and sometimes mixed up). Different types of cues (touch cues, simultaneous production, etc.) will also be employed to help children say their words correctly, fading back these supports as the child's speech improves. Both of these techniques have been shown to be effective for treating CAS.
Our outcome measures will include both (1) "by-ear" assessments of intelligibility and (2) acoustic and kinematic measurements of children's speech after 15 treatment sessions. The findings will inform clinical practice for minimally verbal children with autism and may lead to the development of novel interventions for this severely affected population.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Multiple-baseline single-case design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Treatment for MV ASD | Experimental | Behavioral: CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with AutismParticipants will receive CAS treatment, modified for minimally verbal children with autism |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 5 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 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
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with AutismTreatment involves principles of motor learning embedded in a naturalistic developmental milieu | Behavioural | CAS Treatment for MV ASD |
Primary outcome
Attempts Correct
Time frame: 5 weeks
Number or percent of target items that were produced correctly
Phonemes Correct
Time frame: 5 weeks
Number or percent of phonemes (vowels, consonants) in the target items that were produced correctly
2 secondary outcomes
Lip aperture movement variability
Time frame: 5 weeks
Phoneme distinctiveness
Time frame: 5 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing CAS Treatment for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism in people with Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by MGH Institute of Health Professions at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Karen V Chenausky, Ph.D. (617-726-2405, kvchenausky@mghihp.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Attempts Correct (time frame: 5 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Mar 2026.