Development and Acceptability of a New Program for Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Online Parent Training in Early Behavioral Intervention

Dai, Yael G.; Thomas, Rebecca P.; Brennan, Lynn; Helt, Molly; Barton, Marianne; Dumont-Mathieu, Thyde; Fein, Deborah

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04863-z

Cited by 12 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Such interventions have been associated with acquiring knowledge of behavioral interventions strategies from such programs ( 76 ). In other studies, parents reported reduced stress and increased self-efficacy after participating in a telehealth PMI ( 19 ). Iadarola et al ( 20 ) provided outcome data on caregiver stress and parenting sense of confidence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…In that way, we might see the impact of live coaching on caregivers, which is an added value of the WHO-CST compared with self-paced PMI ( 75 ). In addition, naturalistic interventions like CST, which embed learning and practice opportunities into the child's daily routines, increase skill generalization ( 19 ). Facilitators perceived that the information gathered in the first home visit was too much for the caregivers to process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the power and usefulness of remote parent support in families with autistic children ( 39 ). Empirical data support the efficacy of using PMIs with parents of autistic children, as well as telehealth approaches to deliver PMIs ( 19 , 42 , 45 , 52 – 56 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Besides effectively reducing challenging behaviors and restricted and repetitive behaviors in autistic children ( 14 , 15 ), PMIs also increase their self-help skills ( 16 ). In addition, training in behavioral interventions promotes self-efficacy in parents ( 17 , 18 ), and parent self-efficacy is associated with positive treatment outcomes for children ( 11 , 19 – 21 ). In the U.S., children with an ASD diagnosis between the ages of three and five are also eligible to receive early childhood special education services ( 22 ), including speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and therapy based on the applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Implementing the WHO caregivers skills training program with caregivers of autistic children via telehealth in rural communities

Montiel-Nava

Tregnago²,

Marshall³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundFor families with autistic children living in rural areas, limited access to services partly results from a shortage of providers and extensive travel time. Telehealth brings the possibility of implementing alternative delivery modalities of Parent Mediated Interventions (PMIs) with the potential to decrease barriers to accessing services. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the World Health Organization-Caregivers Skills Training program (WHO-CST) via an online, synchronous group format in rural Missouri.MethodsWe used a mixed methods design to collect qualitative and quantitative data from caregivers and program facilitators at baseline and the end of the program, following the last home visit. Caregivers of 14 autistic children (3–7 years), residents of rural Missouri, completed nine virtual sessions and four virtual home visits.ResultsFour main themes emerged from the focus groups: changes resulting from the WHO-CST, beneficial aspects of the program, advantages and disadvantages of the online format, and challenges to implementing the WHO-CST via telehealth. The most liked activity was the demonstration (36%), and the least liked was the practice with other caregivers. From baseline to week 12, communication skills improved in both frequency (p < 0.05) and impact (p < 0.01), while atypical behaviors decreased (p < 0.01). For caregivers' outcomes, only confidence in skills (p < 0.05) and parental sense of competence (p < 0.05) showed a positive change.ConclusionOur results support the feasibility of implementing the WHO-CST program via telehealth in a US rural setting. Caregivers found strategies easy to follow, incorporated the program into their family routines, and valued the group meetings that allowed them to connect with other families. A PMI such as the WHO-CST, with cultural and linguistic adaptations and greater accessibility via telehealth-plays an essential role in closing the treatment gap and empowering caregivers of autistic children.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Implementing the WHO caregivers skills training program with caregivers of autistic children via telehealth in rural communities

Montiel-Nava

Tregnago²,

Marshall³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A future iteration of this study should include additional efficacy measures and demographic information (ie, marital status, racial and ethnic identity, education) to determine if children show improvements in their social communication and behavior skills following the treatment and to understand sociodemographic factors that may influence the feasibility and acceptability of this telehealth intervention. Further, while escalated rates of attrition are evident in similar online parent training programs, the high attrition rate, particularly in the control group, may impact the generalizability of the results and should be considered when developing future iterations of this study [ 10 , 12 , 14 , 21 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and Acceptability of Delivering Pivotal Response Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder via Telehealth: Pilot Pre-Post Study

Drapalik¹,

Grodberg²,

Ventola³

2022

JMIR Pediatr Parent

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Pivotal response treatment (PRT), an evidence-based and parent-delivered intervention, is designed to improve social communication in autistic individuals. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical effects of an online model of PRT delivered via MindNest Health, a telehealth platform that aims to provide self-directed and engaging online modules, real-time coaching and feedback, and accessible stepped-care to large populations of parents seeking resources for their autistic children. Methods Male and female autistic children, aged 2-7 years with single-word to phrase-level speech, and their parents were eligible to participate in the study. Families were randomized to the online parent training condition or control condition. The online component of the intervention consisted of eight 20-minute online courses of content describing parent training principles in PRT. Four 1-hour videoconferences were held after course 1, course 3, course 5, and course 8. Parents were given 1-2 weeks to complete each course. Parents completed the Client Credibility Questionnaire (CCQ) at week 2 and at the study endpoint, as well as the Behavioral Intervention Rating Scale (BIRS) at the study endpoint to assess parental expectancies, and treatment acceptability and effectiveness. Results Nine of 14 participants completed the study curriculum in the online parent training condition, and 6 of 12 participants completed the control condition. Thus, a total of 58% (15/26) participants across both groups completed the study curriculum by study closure. Within the online parent training condition, there was a significant increase in mean CCQ total scores, from 25.38 (SD 3.25) at baseline to 27.5 (SD 3.74) at study endpoint (P=.04); mean CCQ confidence scores, from 6.0 (SD 1.07) at baseline to 6.75 (SD 0.89) at study endpoint (P=.02); and mean CCQ other improvement scores, from 5.25 (SD 0.89) at baseline to 6.25 (SD 1.28) at study endpoint (P=.009). Within the control condition, a modest increase in mean CCQ scores was noted (Confidence, difference=+0.25; Recommend, difference=+0.25; Total Score, difference=+0.50), but the differences were not statistically significant (Confidence P=.38, Recommend P=.36, Total Score P=.43). Among the 11 parents who completed the BIRS at the study endpoint, 82% (n=9) endorsed that they slightly agree or agree with over 93% of the Acceptability factor items on the BIRS. Conclusions The feasibility of this online treatment is endorsed by the high rate of online module completion and attendance to videoconferences within the online parent training group. Acceptability of treatment is supported by strong ratings on the CCQ and significant improvements in scores, as well as strong ratings on the BIRS. This study’s small sample size limits the conclusions that can be drawn; however, the PRT MindNest Health platform holds promise to support parents of autistic children who are unable to access traditional, in-person parent-mediated interventions for their child.

show abstract

Supporting Caregivers Remotely During a Pandemic: Comparison of WHO Caregiver Skills Training Delivered Online Versus in Person in Public Health Settings in Italy

Ferrante

Sorgato

Fioravanti

et al. 2022

J Autism Dev Disord

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness data of a virtual adaptation of the WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST; n = 25) were compared with those of a pilot RCT of CST delivered in person (n = 43) against treatment as usual (TAU; n = 43). Virtual CST was delivered with high levels of integrity, but received lower ratings in some caregiver- and facilitator-rated acceptability and feasibility dimensions. Qualitative analysis identified both benefits (flexibility, convenience, clinical usefulness) and challenges, (technological issues, distraction from family members, emotional distance). Virtual and in-person CST improved significantly more on caregiver competence than TAU; there were no other significant effects. Potential for use of virtual CST as a clinical response in contexts where in-person delivery is not possible is discussed.

show abstract

Development and Acceptability of a New Program for Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Online Parent Training in Early Behavioral Intervention

Cited by 12 publications

References 41 publications

Implementing the WHO caregivers skills training program with caregivers of autistic children via telehealth in rural communities

Implementing the WHO caregivers skills training program with caregivers of autistic children via telehealth in rural communities

Feasibility and Acceptability of Delivering Pivotal Response Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder via Telehealth: Pilot Pre-Post Study

Supporting Caregivers Remotely During a Pandemic: Comparison of WHO Caregiver Skills Training Delivered Online Versus in Person in Public Health Settings in Italy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About