About PACT
Trial background
The study tested a treatment that aimed to enhance parent-child communication in autism and the social and language development of the child. PACT was a major collaboration involving The University of Manchester, University of Newcastle, Institute of Child Health, London, Guys Hospital, London, Institute of Psychiatry, Stockport Primary Care Trust, Lewisham Primary Care Trust, Southwark Primary Care Trust and North Tyneside Primary Care Trust. The trial office is based at University Place, the University of Manchester.
Autism is a severe and chronic childhood disability affecting families from early childhood through adult life. Although there have been many claims of effective treatment for autism, there has been very little systematic research evidence to support effective treatments.
The study randomly allocated 144 children between the ages of two and five years, in three sites across the UK (Manchester, Newcastle, London) to one of two groups. One received routine clinical care and the second group also received routine clinical care, but with the addition of the trial communication intervention.
What is the PACT treatment?
The PACT treatment targets the core impairments in autism: social interaction, language and communication. The approach aims to help parents adapt their communication style to their childs impairments and respond to their child with enhanced sensitivity and responsiveness. There is a focus on increasing shared attention through eye-gaze, sharing, showing and giving. Parents are encouraged to use language that is tailored to their childs level of understanding. Parents are also introduced to strategies that facilitate child communication and participation, such as action routines, repeated verbal scripts and the use of elaborations, pauses, and teasing.
Is it effective?
In the past there have been some promising small studies of particular interventions to help the development of communication and social understanding. In this study, we are testing whether a specific approach to helping parent-child communication in autism will be more effective than regular treatments currently in use.
