Association for Behavior Analysis International

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behaviors [American Psychiatric Association (APA) 2013], and rates of ASD have risen exponentially in recent years currently impacting approximately 1 out of 59 children in the United States [Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 2018]. Several behavior analytic interventions have been established as effective with a focus on early delivery and high intensity for ameliorating symptoms of ASD and increasing meaningful skills. Even with this growth in practice, there remains inadequate access to services for families across the country. This symposium will include three presentations focused on development and implementation of parent training models to address: 1) lag between diagnosis and start of intervention, 2) service options for families living in remote and rural areas and/or with school-age children, and 3) evaluating the effect of naturalistic parent-mediated interventions. Together, results indicate that 1) parents were successful at implementing naturalistic interventions, 2) interventions met parent expectations, 3) parents reported positive response to intervention and format, and 4) children demonstrated positive gains during parent participation in the programs. Results from these models continue to inform research and community-based practice to address the needs of the community.

Behavior Analysts

Parent-mediated interventions can lead to significant gains in social, communicative, and adaptive skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (Meadan et al., 2009). Although there is consensus about the benefits of evidence-based parent-delivered intervention, many barriers exist for families seeking training on effective teaching practices. Geographical distance from treatment centers and the high cost of high-quality services are two variables that often contribute to inequity in behavior analytic treatment. The current investigation sought to examine the impact of a short-term intensive parent training program on parent fidelity of implementation of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and child communication. Twenty-four families living in remote or rural communities in Arizona participated in 25 hours of in-vivo parent coaching through a grant-funded, clinic-based program. Across all participants, the average fidelity score increased from 30% at baseline to 82% post-training and child responsivity increased from 22% to 67%. Additionally, families rated the program favorably and reported comfort using the strategies in their home environment. Results indicate that the one-week intensive program may offer a solution in addressing ongoing disparities in autism treatment.

Brief parent education programs for parents of young children has shown to be effective at increasing parent use of teaching strategies and having positive effects on child social communication skills (Vismara, Colombi, Rogers, 2009). However, few studies have examined the impact of parent-education models for parents with school-aged children. In this study we utilized the same format (Rogers et al., 2012) and evaluated the impact on parent delivery of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with school-aged children. This study reviewed the outcome data of the first four parent-child dyads to participate in the pilot and suggests that parents of school-age children may benefit from a short-term low-intensity model similarly to parents of young children. Following participation all participants agreed that they felt comfortable implementing the motivational procedures of pivotal response treatment. In addition, all parent-child dyads demonstrated gains in verbal responsivity and achieved an acceptable level of fidelity. Results suggested a 12-week education model can be an effective modality to increase fidelity of implementation of pivotal response treatment for caregivers of school-aged children.