A Systematic Review of Family-Mediated Social Communication Interventions for Young Children with Autism

Abstract

Social communication deficits are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present paper reviews 54 studies evaluating social communication interventions delivered by parents and siblings to children with ASD under 6 years old. Fifty studies evaluated parent-mediated intervention, and four studies evaluated sibling-mediated intervention. Fourteen studies evaluated interventions using telehealth. Treatment effects and research strength were variable across studies. Treatment modality, setting, and dosage had inconclusive impact on treatment effect. Parent-implemented intervention packages, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), and Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement & Regulation (JASPER), qualified as established evidence-based practice for this population. Most studies reported successful generalization of skills for some, but not all, children. Telehealth and sibling-mediated intervention are promising areas of further research and clinical practice.

Managing Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Face of Pandemic Using Internet-Based Parent-Mediated Interventions: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…The trial concluded that children with ASD required more intensive and longer interventions [ 20 ]. A systematic review by Pacia et al assessing social communication interventions for children with autism showed that most studies reported successful generalization of skills, which indicated that telehealth-related interventions are promising in clinical practice [ 21 ]. Using Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-I) and others, our included study found significantly higher score in intervention group compared to standard community treatment.…”

Essential elements of a care delivery model for children with neurological impairments during the COVID-19 pandemic: Notes from Bulgaria

“…Additionally, FMM using technology-mediated communication tools are less likely to face barriers in accessing therapeutic services and are cost-effective (21,22). Despite being widely used in different countries and settings, evidence on the difference in the effectiveness of FMM of care for children with NI delivered in situ or remotely is yet scarce (23). In a systematic review with 14 telehealth interventions involving parents of children with autism, Pacia et al report that treatment effects for telehealth and in-situ interventions were similar, suggesting telehealth as a promising intervention in making gains regardless of whether parents were trained remotely or face-to-face (23).…”

“…Despite being widely used in different countries and settings, evidence on the difference in the effectiveness of FMM of care for children with NI delivered in situ or remotely is yet scarce (23). In a systematic review with 14 telehealth interventions involving parents of children with autism, Pacia et al report that treatment effects for telehealth and in-situ interventions were similar, suggesting telehealth as a promising intervention in making gains regardless of whether parents were trained remotely or face-to-face (23). A major limitation of the family-mediated models of care is the underutilization of strategies modifying maladaptive consequences which would rather require a professional involvement on the part of the clinician (23).…”

“…In a systematic review with 14 telehealth interventions involving parents of children with autism, Pacia et al report that treatment effects for telehealth and in-situ interventions were similar, suggesting telehealth as a promising intervention in making gains regardless of whether parents were trained remotely or face-to-face (23). A major limitation of the family-mediated models of care is the underutilization of strategies modifying maladaptive consequences which would rather require a professional involvement on the part of the clinician (23). Additionally, the delivery of remote services of FMM of care may require additional technical training and assistive technology provision for low-income and digitally challenged families (24).…”

Pilot Study Examining Caregiver–Child and Family Functioning in PEERS® for Preschoolers

“…These difficulties are often present early in development (Paul, 2003) and may worsen as the child matures (Mundy, 2016;Rao et al, 2008). Caregiver-mediated interventions that target social skills may be particularly impactful, as incorporating caregivers can increase generalizability, maintenance of skills, and individual and caregiver/family outcomes (Factor et al, 2019;Klinger et al, 2022;Pacia et al, 2022;Trembath et al, 2019). While there has been a rapid increase in caregiver-mediated interventions for children with ASD, little research has investigated the impact of the intervention on the caregiver-child relationship or on caregiver outcomes (Reichow et al, 2012).…”