Clinical Trial: Portable Visual Guidance System Phase II

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional



Official Title: Phase II Study of a Portable Visual Guidance System for Use by AS/HFA Students in Inclusion Settings

Brief Summary:

Abstract: In Phase I, we designed and tested a Portable Visual Guidance System (PVGS), which combines a PDA - for user guidance - and an Internet website - for linking the user to an educational support team. Use of the PVGS 1) significantly improved the in vivo social pragmatics of students diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome/Higher Functioning Autism (AS/HFA); 2) revealed additional ways of improving social pragmatics; and 3) improved activity management in scheduling and vocational tasks.

In Phase II, we will focus on social pragmatics and two closely related skills: feelings management and assignment management. We aim to:

  1. Replicate Phase I success in the most educational setting for AS/HFA high school aged students: mainstream school inclusion classes.
  2. Replicate Phase I findings more efficiently, with a less highly trained, on-site coaching staff and with more distant (non-site) expert supervision of that staff.
  3. Contrast the outcomes of the curriculum with a diagnosis-matched wait-list control group.
  4. Develop and implement software that will enable on-site staff to create and modify individualized guidance and monitoring screens as needs arise.
  5. Design a commercially attractive package of software, video training, video-conferenced support, and manuals.
  6. Complete the translation of the SymTrend website and all the above tools into Spanish.

Significance: Successful completion of Phase II will:

  1. Provide a very effective and comprehensive system for teaching social pragmatics and related