Our research team is therefore trialling an early intervention program, called "ENACT", to support families of infants at risk of ASD by using early intervention approaches, targeting social reciprocity and supporting parent mental health. The ENACT intervention content is delivered via an online learning platform (EdX) and by telehealth consultations with the ENACT clinician at key timepoints antenatal and through the first year of life. A randomised controlled trial design has been underway since 2019 to compare ENACT with care as usual in terms of infant developmental outcomes and the parent-child relationship. While the intervention content is accessible online, the infant developmental assessments are completed in person at the Centre for Children's Health Research in Brisbane, Queensland. Currently 40 families have been enrolled in the study, of an anticipated 66 families. As recruitment has been slower than anticipated, largely due to the impacts of COVID on family stress and capacity to participate in research trials, we hope to be able to increase our sample size by expanding the initial trial site to include Darwin and Newcastle and holding recruitment open until end December 2023.

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/12759

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Environmental Enrichment for infants: parenting with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ENACT)

Interventional/Clinical trials research

Project