Rural Autistic Individuals - Supporting Expression

This research study investigates how hand gestures can support language comprehension and communication skills of hearing speaking, non-speaking, and/or minimally verbal individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), who are especially disadvantaged by the lack of accessible services in their rural communities. Individuals with other cognitive profiles, including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), ADHD, Dyslexia, and others are welcome too. The study uses methods of eye tracking and recording of brain activity to understand how hand gestures adapted from signs from American Sign Language, such as \[cry\], can promote successful understanding of words like "cry". The overarching goal is to help families effectively utilize gestures to support communication with their children.

NCT Number	NCT07054866
Lead Sponsor	Montana State University
Conditions	Autism Disorder, Language Development Disorders, ADHD, Typical Development, Rural Health, Children, Neuroimaging, Eye Tracking +2 more
Enrollment	50 participants
Start Date	2025-07
Primary Completion	2026-12 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-07 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-07-10