Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32093772›Full record

ArticleTrials2020

Study protocol of the multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of the Frankfurt Early Intervention Programme A-FFIP versus early intervention as usual for toddlers and preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (A-FFIP study).

Janina Kitzerow, Matthes Hackbusch, Katrin Jensen, Meinhard Kieser, Michele Noterdaeme, Ulrike Fröhlich, Regina Taurines, Julia Geißler, Nicole Wolff, Veit Roessner and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Visual Search Performance in Children With ASD: A Combined Case-Control and Longitudinal Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Semi-Automated Multi-Label Classification of Autistic Mannerisms by Machine Learning on Post Hoc Skeletal Tracking.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Janina KitzerowDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Therapy and Research Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Matthes HackbuschInstitute of Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Katrin JensenInstitute of Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Meinhard KieserInstitute of Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Michele NoterdaemeDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Josefinum Augsburg, Kapellenstrasse 30, 86154, Augsburg, Germany.
Ulrike FröhlichDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Josefinum Augsburg, Kapellenstrasse 30, 86154, Augsburg, Germany.
Regina TaurinesCenter of Mental Health, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Julia GeißlerCenter of Mental Health, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
Nicole WolffDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Veit RoessnerDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Nico BastDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Therapy and Research Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Karoline TeufelDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Therapy and Research Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Ziyon KimDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Therapy and Research Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Christine M FreitagDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Therapy and Research Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. c.freitag@em.uni-frankfurt.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9676-4782
Goethe University Frankfurt · DEHeidelberg University · DEUniversitätsklinikum Würzburg · DEUniversity Hospital Augsburg · DEUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav Carus · DE

Funding

German Research Foundation (DFG) FR 2069/8-1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNaturalistic developmental behavioural interventions (NDBI) have been shown to improve autism-specific symptoms in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). NDBI approaches, such as the ASD-specific Frankfurt Early Intervention Programme for ASD (A-FFIP), are based on ASD-specific developmental and learning aspects. A-FFIP is a low-intensity intervention which can easily be implemented in the local health care/social welfare system. The aim of the present study is to establish 1-year efficacy of the manualised early intervention programme A-FFIP in toddlers and preschool children with ASD. It is hypothesised that A-FFIP will result in improved ASD-specific symptoms compared to early intervention as usual (EIAU). Child- and family-specific secondary outcomes, as well as moderators and mediators of outcome, will be explored. METHODS/

designA prospective, multi-centre, parallel-group, randomised controlled, phase-III trial comparing A-FFIP versus EIAU. A total of 134 children (A-FFIP: 67, EIAU: 67) aged 24-66 months at baseline assessment meeting the criteria for ASD (DSM-5) will be included. The primary outcome is the absolute change of the total score of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC-AT) between baseline (T2) and 1-year follow-up (T6). The treatment effect will be tested, adjusted for relevant covariates applying a mixed model for repeated measures. Secondary outcomes are BOSCC social communication and repetitive-behaviour scores, single ASD symptoms, language, cognition, psychopathology, parental well-being and family quality of life. Predictors, moderators and mediating mechanisms will be explored. DISCUSSION: If efficacy of the manualised A-FFIP early intervention is established, the current study has the potential to change clinical practice strongly towards the implementation of a low-intensity, evidence-based, natural early intervention in ASD. Early intervention in ASD requires specialist training, which subsequently needs to be developed or included into current training curricula.

trial registrationGerman Registry for Clinical Trials (Deutscher Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS); ID: 00016330. Retrospectively registered on 4 January 2019. URL: https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00016330.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderChild, PreschoolClinical Trials, Phase III as TopicHumansMulticenter Studies as TopicParentsProspective StudiesQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicA-FFIPASD-specificAutism spectrum disorderEarly interventionNDBIRandomised trial

Identifiers

PMID32093772
PMCPMC7038602
OpenAlexW3011040374

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.