Early Intervention for Children with Autism: Parental Priorities

Abstract

This paper describes a process of assisting parents of young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to identify and prioritise their goals for their children's early intervention. A modified version of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (M-COPM) was used to facilitate this process. Twenty-two child–parent dyads involved in a home-based early intervention program participated in this study. Parents were able to identify and prioritise three to six early intervention goals for their children. Consistent with the core impairments of ASD, identified goals related to the domains of communication, behaviour, play and social interaction. The M-COPM was found to be a useful tool for enabling parents to identify goals for their children, when used and understood from a strong client and family-centred philosophical perspective. Pre- and post-intervention parent ratings of goal performance and satisfaction are presented to demonstrate the use of the M-COPM as an outcome measure. Implications for practitioners in early childhood and special education settings, and areas for further research, are also discussed.