Evaluation of the TAP-Preschool (TAP-P) for Tele-assessment of Autism in Preschool-aged Children
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Where
- Nashville, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 250 people, planned
- Started
- 4 Oct 2026
- Expected to end
- 30 Apr 2031
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Tele-assessment using the TAP-P
- Record updated
- 12 November 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 36 months to 72 months
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 8 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Children 36-72 months of age
- Participation of a primary caregiver who can speak and understand English sufficiently to complete questionnaires and interviews
- Primary caregiver access to the technology required for tele assessment (e.g., smartphone, tablet, or computer with internet connection and audio/video capabilities)
- Ability to travel to VUMC for the in-person diagnostic assessment
- Referral for questions related to autism, developmental delay, or developmental concerns, or have no identified concerns (to ensure phenotypic variability)
Who cannot take part
- Severe, non-corrected sensory or motor impairments (e.g., profound hearing or vision impairment, inability to ambulate) that would prevent completion of study procedures
- Medical or genetic conditions for which tele-assessment is inappropriate or insufficient (e.g., rare genetic syndromes, severe epilepsy, fragile medical stability)
- Presentation with conditions requiring alternative assessment pathways incompatible with the study protocol
Where in United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical CenterNashville, United StatesContact: Laura CoronaTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Use of tele-assessment for evaluation and diagnosis of autism in toddlers has demonstrated success in increasing service access and reducing clinical wait times, with high levels of diagnostic accuracy, clinician confidence, and family satisfaction; however, these models have not yet been rigorously evaluated within the preschool age range. The TAP-Preschool (TAP-P) was developed by the investigative team for tele-assessment of autism in preschool-aged children, with preliminary studies demonstrating utility with many children with limited verbal language and some children with more flexible verbal language. The proposed study will recruit a larger sample of children with varied language and phenotypic profiles to (1) thoroughly evaluate the psychometric properties of the TAP-P and (2) investigate child and family factors associated with diagnostic ascertainment and family satisfaction with tele-assessment to inform the creation of a decision support tool intended to recommend families for either tele- or in-person assessment, with the ultimate goal of optimizing clinical care models to serve patients in efficient ways while routing families to diagnostic care pathways that best fit their needs.
The group in the trial
- Tele-assessment using the TAP-PTreatment being tested
Participants will complete a tele-assessment that includes administration of the TAP-P, developmental assessment using the Developmental Profile 4 (DP-4), and clinical interview focused on characteristics of autism. Tele-assessments will be completed via HIPAA-compliant Zoom by licensed clinical psychological providers with expertise in autism assessment. The tele-assessment appointment, which will be timed, is estimated to take 90-150 minutes. Diagnostic feedback will not be provided following tele-assessment, as all participants will complete in-person assessment to determine diagnostic outcome.
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- TELE-ASD-PEDS-Preschool (TAP-P) Psychometrics and Decision Support for Preschool Autism Tele-Assessment
- Record updated
- 12 November 2026