Communication Training Within Partners in School: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Usability

Abstract

Partners in School is a consultation model adapted from Conjoint Behavioral Consultation where parents and teachers identify a mutual concern for children with Autism and then implement the same evidence-based practices (EBPs) across home and school. Adding parent-teacher communication training (School Talk) may bolster the effects of this consultation approach. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ and teachers’ experiences with School Talk, as well as examine the clinical outcomes of Partners in School plus School Talk. Participants were 21 parents and 21 teachers (n = 21 dyads, N = 42 participants) of preschool to first-grade children with Autism. Results indicated that parents and teachers both rated School Talk as feasible and acceptable, but parents rated it as more usable. There was preliminary evidence that Partners in School with School Talk may be associated with improvements in parent-teacher communication, as well as reductions in the frequency of child concerns.