Parent Training Program for Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

National Cheng Kung University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: traditional program; Behavioral: parent-training program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03725644

B-BR-103-065

Details and patient eligibility

About

Previous research has showed that parent-training programs derived from the developmental individual-difference relationship-based model (DIR) could improve the communicative development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the empirical evidence is weak. This study therefore examines whether a DIR-based parent-training program can improve children's adaptive functioning and parents' parenting skills using a rigorous randomized controlled trial design with a dose-matched control group. Forty preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents were randomly assigned to the parent-training program group or the traditional program group at the pre-test phase. Both groups received 14-week intervention programs and were assessed using pre- and post-tests. Children's development levels and adaptive functioning were assessed by the Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), the Chinese version of Psychoeducational Profile-third edition (CPEP-3), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). In addition, parents' parenting skills were assessed by the FEAS and parenting stress was evaluated by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form.

Full description

Introduction: Preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents face many difficulties in daily lives, including children's adaptive functioning, parenting skills, and parenting stress. Therefore, effective and economical interventions are very important to support them. With appropriate theoretical bases, a parent-training program could be effective, economical, and feasible while the clinical manpower is insufficient. Among current intervention programs, the play concept and the developmental, individual difference, and relationship-based (DIR) model match the philosophy of occupational therapy. Previous research had showed the play- and DIR-based parent-training programs would improve children's communicative development. However, the empirical evidence was still weak due to poor research designs and little research was comprehensively investigated children's adaptive functioning. Moreover, the results of improvement in parenting skills and reduction of parenting stress were not consistent. Aim: This study would implement a dose-matched control group and comprehensive measurements to examine if the play- and DIR-based parent-training program would improve children's adaptive functioning and parents' parenting skills as well as reduce parenting stress. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that the better improvements would show in the parent-training program than those in the traditional program. Method: We recruited 40 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and randomly assigned them to either the parent-training program group or the traditional program group after pretest phase. Both of them conducted 14-week intervention programs and were assessed after interventions. Children's development levels and adaptive functioning were assessed by the Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), the Chinese version of Psychoeducational Profile-third edition (CPEP-3), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS). In addition, parents' parenting skills were assessed by the FEAS and parenting stress was evaluated by the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 36 to 71 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. children with a diagnosis of ASD according to the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth edition (DSM-5; APA, 2013) by registered pediatric psychiatrists;
2. mild to severe symptoms of ASD according to the Standard Version of Childhood Autism Rating Scale - Second edition (CARS2-ST; Schopler et al., 2010);
3. children aged 36 to 71 months old;
4. children whose primary caregivers (parents who cared for their child for over 15 hours per week - except during sleep time) used Mandarin as their main language;
5. children whose caregivers' educational level were at or above middle school so that they could read manuals and complete the questionnaires.

Exclusion criteria

1. children who attended other intensive interventions (e.g., 25 hours per week) or had been diagnosed with additional diseases or disorders;
2. parents who attended other parent-training programs at the same time.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

40 participants in 2 patient groups

parent-training program

Experimental group

Description:

Parents in the treatment group received the parent-training program based on the DIR model. The parent-training program encouraged child-initiated activities according to the functional developmental levels. The treatment intensity and duration were the same for both groups including 3-week courses and 11-week home programs. The investigators in this study are two registered pediatric occupational therapists who have at least five years of early intervention experience and had studied the DIR model.

Treatment:

Behavioral: parent-training program

traditional program

Experimental group

Description:

Parents in the control group received the traditional program based on the developmental approach. The traditional program provided parent-lead activities that fit child's developmental stage.

Treatment:

Behavioral: traditional program