Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training
Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Summary
The goals of this project are to (a) incorporate empirical findings on imitation training and learning in autistic children into a comprehensive protocol for Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners designed to rapidly facilitate generalized imitation called Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training (EMIT), and (b) collect pilot data on the efficacy of EMIT with a small sample of autistic children. EMIT will incorporate several features that are grounded in prior research including: (a) evidence-based procedures for establishing trained matching relations (a pre-requisite to generalized imitation), (b) concurrent training of different response types (e.g., motor imitation, object imitation, vocal imitation) to address restricted generalization, (c) multiple manipulative object imitation training, (d) evidence-based procedures for remediating slow acquisition, and (e) frequent tests for the emergence of generalized imitation. EMIT will be the first protocol designed for clinical use that reflects research findings on imitation learning spanning almost five decades.
Official title: A Pilot Investigation of Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training (EMIT)
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
12 Months - 6 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
25
Start Date
2022-03-27
Completion Date
2027-08-31
Last Updated
2025-07-28
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Emergent Multi-Class Imitation Training
Sessions will be conducted in a room with minimal distractions containing a table, two chairs, a timer, and 3-4 highly preferred (HP) items identified by preference assessments. A maximum of 10 sessions per week will be distributed across at least 3 days per week. Each session will take 15-20 min to conduct. Novel probe trials will be embedded throughout all sessions to continuously assess for the emergence of generalized imitation. When participants can consistently imitate novel probe responses, the intervention will conclude.
Locations (1)
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States