Apraxia of Speech, Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
autism, apraxia, speech therapy, speech pathology, nonverbal
Brief summary
Nearly 3.5 million Americans are diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a communication disorder that causes skill limitations in the areas of language acquisition, sensory integration, and behavior. This lack of functional language ability limits conversation to its most basic parts, making daily tasks difficult for minimally to non-verbal individuals to achieve. iTherapy is developing the VAST platform, a personalized educational experience for students with ASD by creating a virtual reality-based video-modeling program to stimulate engagement and speech production practice, ultimately providing those with ASD an opportunity to enhance their quality of life by increasing their speech abilities which will enable them to build social networks and handle the events of daily life.
Detailed description
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental communication disorder resulting in functional language and behavioral delays affecting over 3.5 million Americans. These delays vary with the severity of symptoms that present in ASD but often result in limited speech and increased communication challenges. Alongside linguistic acquisition, oral motor coordination is a crucial part of speech production. Current clinical techniques have shown varying degrees of efficacy in improving functional language proficiency. Most techniques follow a drill-like procedure, where the child is made to repeat various sounds and phrases until they are retained. However, such a process requires potentially over twenty therapy sessions to show improvement which may then only be focused on one aspect of speech. This significantly limits the linguistic and social skills a student will acquire. To improve the efficacy of these therapy sessions, new technology must be developed to provide the most effective educational experience. Video-assisted speech technology (VAST) is a method of using a video of a close-up model of the mouth and speaking simultaneously with it. Rather than present the individual with a static photograph of the initial phoneme, the entire sequence of oral movements can be presented sequentially via video-recorded segments of the orofacial area producing connected speech, combining best practices, video modeling, and literacy with auditory cues to provide unprecedented support the development of vocabulary, word combinations and communication. In this SBIR Phase I proposal, iTherapy will develop a personalized educational experience for students with ASD by creating a virtual reality (VR) based VAST program to stimulate engagement and speech production practice. VR offers several benefits as a therapy technique: overcoming sensory difficulties, more effectively generalizing information, employing visual learning, and providing individualized treatment. As a user moves through the stages of the program, they will be immersed in a proactive environment where they will engross themselves with continuous content. Rather than present the individual with a static photograph of the initial phoneme, the entire sequence of oral movements can be presented sequentially via VR-modelled segments of the orofacial area producing connected speech, combining best practices, video modeling, music therapy, and literacy with auditory cues to provide unprecedented support the development of vocabulary, word combinations and communication. The innovation will be a video series of a realistic VR mouth which will require the use of an app on a tablet or a smartphone, VR goggles, and bone conduction headphones.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVideo Assisted Speech Therapy (VAST)
Six children with ASD, between the ages of 4 and 8, participated in a 14-sessions-long study that utilized the VR-integrated and the tablet-based VAST application. Three subjects received a 3D VR-integrated, bone conduction VAST prototype, while the remaining group of three received a tablet with a 2D version of the software. Sessions were held twice a week with each lasting approximately 15 minutes (i.e. +/- 5 minutes).
Sponsors
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
iTherapy, LLC
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Six children with ASD, between the ages of 4 and 8, were recruited to participate in a 12-sessions-long study that utilized the Video-Assisted Speech Therapy (VAST) application. The participants were divided into two groups: one which received the VR-integrated prototype, and one that received a 2D application on a tablet. Each session was approximately 15 minutes long (+/- 5 minutes), occurring twice per week.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 8 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Nonverbal-minimally verbal children (0-5 words) * Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Exclusion criteria
* No history of seizures for participating with VR goggles.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | Participants (aged 4 to 8 years) were given a pre- and post-test 15-minute language sample. MLU was calculated for tests and gain from pre-test to post-test was compared. NOTE: This measure is calculated based on a change in the number of morphemes per utterance during pre-test and post-test language samples. During a five-minute period, two licensed speech-language pathologists (SLP) observed a parent interacting and talking with their child. Parents Both SLPs transcribed the subjects' speech and calculated a mean length of utterance (MLU) for each subject. MLU was calculated by determining how many bound and free morphemes were included within every spoken utterance produced by a subject. The total number of morphemes produced within the 5-minute period were then divided by total number of utterances, which then produced the MLU for each subject. This procedure was use for determining MLU in both the pre- and post-testing procedures. |
| Change in Percentage of Correctly Transcribed Words Using Automatic Speech Recognition | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | 15-minute pre- and post-testing was performed using speech recognition software and transcribed by a licensed speech pathologist. Differences pre and post intervention were compared across group and within groups. NOTE: During our assessment, we used Google's native closed captioning function (a tool which uses machine learning to recognize and transcribe speech) and a third party app, Tactiq Pins, which allows users to keep a transcript of all speaker utterances during a call. We compared our video to the Tactiq Pin transcripts in order to measure any change in the amount of accurately transcribed spoken words between pre-test and post-test language samples. Specific transcription results for each group can be found in the data tables provided. |
| Change in Articulation Accuracy | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | Change in % of correct phonemes in each attempted stimulus |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Perceptions of Communication Changes, Resulting From Study Participation. | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | Parent observations -- perceptions of changes in their children's motor-speech, behavioral, and social communication skills after having participated in the study Scale title: Net Positive Changes Score Maximum possible value: 18 Minimum possible value: -2 Higher score is better. |
| Change in Type-Token Ratios | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | A type-token ratio measures the total number of unique words in a given segment of language. |
| Increase in Response Rate to Treatment Stimuli | Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment. | The change in response rate measures any significant differences in how often children responded to pre- and post-testing stimuli after having received treatment between the iPad Pro and VR goggles groups. A response is considered a verbal or non-verbal reaction (e.g., eye contact, gestures, vocalizations) to the stimuli presented during the therapy sessions. Higher response rates indicate better engagement and responsiveness to the treatment. The change in response rate is calculated as the value at the post-test time point minus the value at the pre-test time point, with positive numbers representing increases and negative numbers representing decreases in response rate. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro Three children with ASD, between the ages of 4 and 8, participated in a 14-sessions-long study that utilized the tablet-based Video-Assisted Speech Therapy (VAST) application. Sessions were held twice a week with each lasting approximately 15 minutes (i.e. +/- 5 minutes). | 3 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones Three children with ASD, between the ages of 4 and 8, participated in a 14-sessions-long study that utilized a 3D VR-integrated Video-Assisted Speech Therapy (VAST) application, which paired bone conduction audio within a 3D-printed headset prototype. Sessions were held twice a week with each lasting approximately 15 minutes (i.e. +/- 5 minutes). | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 6 Participants | 3 Participants | 3 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 5.875 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.818 | 5.75 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.113 | 6 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.938 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 3 Participants | 1 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 2 Participants | 1 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 6 participants | 3 participants | 3 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 5 Participants | 3 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 |
Outcome results
Primary
Change in Articulation Accuracy
Change in % of correct phonemes in each attempted stimulus
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Change in Articulation Accuracy | 19.75 percentage of correct phonemes | Standard Deviation 28.71 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Change in Articulation Accuracy | 16.24 percentage of correct phonemes | Standard Deviation 2.36 |
Comparison: Articulation Accuracy does not statistically differ for the iPad Pro or VR goggle participant group after having used the VAST system for 2 months.p-value: 0.429695% CI: [-49.68, 42.66]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.29495% CI: [-25.7, 65.2]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.41995% CI: [-33.86, 66.36]ANOVA
Primary
Change in Mean Length of Utterance (MLU)
Participants (aged 4 to 8 years) were given a pre- and post-test 15-minute language sample. MLU was calculated for tests and gain from pre-test to post-test was compared. NOTE: This measure is calculated based on a change in the number of morphemes per utterance during pre-test and post-test language samples. During a five-minute period, two licensed speech-language pathologists (SLP) observed a parent interacting and talking with their child. Parents Both SLPs transcribed the subjects' speech and calculated a mean length of utterance (MLU) for each subject. MLU was calculated by determining how many bound and free morphemes were included within every spoken utterance produced by a subject. The total number of morphemes produced within the 5-minute period were then divided by total number of utterances, which then produced the MLU for each subject. This procedure was use for determining MLU in both the pre- and post-testing procedures.
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Change in Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) | 0.5387 Morphemes per utterance | Standard Deviation 0.4119 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Change in Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) | 0.2987 Morphemes per utterance | Standard Deviation 0.4977 |
Comparison: The Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) will not increase from baseline for the either the iPad Pro or VR goggle participant group after having used the VAST system for 2 months.p-value: <0.55595% CI: [-1.276, 0.796]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.212895% CI: [-0.471, 1.548]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.53395% CI: [-0.915, 1.511]ANOVA
Primary
Change in Percentage of Correctly Transcribed Words Using Automatic Speech Recognition
15-minute pre- and post-testing was performed using speech recognition software and transcribed by a licensed speech pathologist. Differences pre and post intervention were compared across group and within groups. NOTE: During our assessment, we used Google's native closed captioning function (a tool which uses machine learning to recognize and transcribe speech) and a third party app, Tactiq Pins, which allows users to keep a transcript of all speaker utterances during a call. We compared our video to the Tactiq Pin transcripts in order to measure any change in the amount of accurately transcribed spoken words between pre-test and post-test language samples. Specific transcription results for each group can be found in the data tables provided.
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Change in Percentage of Correctly Transcribed Words Using Automatic Speech Recognition | 1.388 % of correctly transcribed words | Standard Deviation 1.966 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Change in Percentage of Correctly Transcribed Words Using Automatic Speech Recognition | 0 % of correctly transcribed words | Standard Deviation 0 |
Comparison: The percentage of correctly transcribed words using automatic speech recognition will not increase from baseline for the either the iPad Pro or VR goggle participant group after having used the VAST system for 2 months.p-value: <0.28995% CI: [-1.763, 4.539]ANOVA
Secondary
Change in Type-Token Ratios
A type-token ratio measures the total number of unique words in a given segment of language.
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Change in Type-Token Ratios | 30.158 number of unique words in a segment | Standard Deviation 24.5 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Change in Type-Token Ratios | 22.26 number of unique words in a segment | Standard Deviation 41.18 |
p-value: <0.78995% CI: [-68.91, 84.7]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.30495% CI: [-40.85, 101.17]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.40395% CI: [-43.91, 88.43]ANOVA
Secondary
Increase in Response Rate to Treatment Stimuli
The change in response rate measures any significant differences in how often children responded to pre- and post-testing stimuli after having received treatment between the iPad Pro and VR goggles groups. A response is considered a verbal or non-verbal reaction (e.g., eye contact, gestures, vocalizations) to the stimuli presented during the therapy sessions. Higher response rates indicate better engagement and responsiveness to the treatment. The change in response rate is calculated as the value at the post-test time point minus the value at the pre-test time point, with positive numbers representing increases and negative numbers representing decreases in response rate.
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Increase in Response Rate to Treatment Stimuli | 5.67 Number of responses | Standard Deviation 3.4 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Increase in Response Rate to Treatment Stimuli | 3.33 Number of responses | Standard Deviation 4.03 |
Comparison: The response to treatment stimuli will not increase from baseline for the either the iPad Pro or VR goggle participant group after having used the VAST system for 2 months.p-value: <0.48595% CI: [-10.79, 6.11]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.06595% CI: [-0.569, 11.9]ANOVA
Comparison: Comparison of pre-test and post-test outcome per group.p-value: <0.54995% CI: [-10.85, 17.53]ANOVA
Secondary
Parent Perceptions of Communication Changes, Resulting From Study Participation.
Parent observations -- perceptions of changes in their children's motor-speech, behavioral, and social communication skills after having participated in the study Scale title: Net Positive Changes Score Maximum possible value: 18 Minimum possible value: -2 Higher score is better.
Time frame: Seven weeks--each subject participated in the study twice a week over a 7-week period for a total of 14 sessions. The first and last sessions (session #1 and session #14) were reserved for pre-test and post-test language sample collection and assessment.
Population: All participants for each respective group.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stimuli Administered Via 2D Format on an iPad Pro | Parent Perceptions of Communication Changes, Resulting From Study Participation. | 11 Score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.45 |
| Stimuli Administered in 3D Format Via VR Goggles and Bone Conduction Headphones | Parent Perceptions of Communication Changes, Resulting From Study Participation. | 9.67 Score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.18 |
p-value: <0.65995% CI: [-6.436, 9.096]ANOVA