Parent Training for Families who have Children with Autism: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this review was to examine the literature on parent training for parents of children with autism. Families with a child diagnosed with autism often face a discrepancy between their need for services and the availability of services either because they live in geographically distant areas or because they are on a long wait list for services. Researchers have found that parents, if trained, can serve as a facilitator of positive change for their child. There is a plethora of home- and facility-based parent training services. Noticeably absent, however, are studies that directly address the needs of families with limited access to parent training (e.g., families who live in rural areas). In this review, the researchers demonstrate a gap in providing parent training to those who do not have access to these services. The researchers provide implications for research and practice to bridge the gap.

Parent Training Programs for School-Age Children With Autism: A Systematic Review

“…Although multiple reviews have found that parents are capable of learning techniques and facilitating programming (Matson et al, 1996; McConachie & Diggle, 2007; Suppo & Floyd, 2012), most of the literature reviews to date have focused on programs for families of younger children, and no syntheses have evaluated the effects of PT for school-aged children with ASD. This is unfortunate because older children with ASD continue to experience difficulties, and PT may remain necessary to support families and promote positive outcomes as children age.…”

Battle weary/battle ready: A phenomenological study of parents' lived experiences caring for children with autism and their safety concerns

“…Safety information specific to autism should be included when a child is diagnosed and would enable parents to be proactive about safety. The various education programs found for parents who have children with autism are not standardized and it is not known to what extent safety concerns are addressed (Beaudoin et al, ; Meadan, Meyer, Snodgrass, & Halle, ; Steiner, Koegel, Koegel, & Ence, ; Suppo & Floyd, ; Tonge, Brereton, Kiomall, Mackinnon, & Rinehart, ). To our knowledge, current autism‐specific safety recommendations to educate these parents at well‐child visits do not exist.…”

“…Research that discusses education for parents who have autistic children exists (Bearss, Burrell, Stewart, & Scahill, ; Bearss, Johnson, Handen, Smith, & Scahill, ; Beaudoin, Sebire, & Couture, ; Machalicek et al, ; Suppo & Floyd, ; Suppo & Mayton, ; Vismara, McCormick, Young, Nadhan, & Monlux, ). These studies focused on different methods for educating parents and preventing challenging but none of the studies indicated if safety concerns that are common with autism were addressed.…”

Telehealth Services for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Overview and Recommendations

“…As mentioned earlier, the number of children with ASD is increasing, but services are only available in major cities. In addition, due to the limited resources, waiting times for appointments or family-centered approach sessions can take 8-12 weeks [17]. Moreover, several aspects, including the costs of travel and the service itself as well as the need to manage receipt of support for their child while maintaining jobs and fulfilling other responsibilities, lead to a significant strain on families living in rural areas of KSA [2,17,18].…”

“…For such families, telehealth could address many such issues and provide additional support to existing services. Telehealth services could be used as a tool for teaching strategies to improve the outcomes of children with ASD and their families [17,19]. However, the cultural context, beliefs, educational levels, and socioeconomic status of the KSA population need to be considered when selecting appropriate methods of intervention [18].…”