Training Parents to Promote Communication and Social Behavior in Children with Autism: The Son-Rise Program

Abstract

The Son-Rise Program is an intensive, child-centered approach to treatment of autism, incorporating strategies to promote child-initiated social interactions. Parent training is an important element of the treatment program, which is intended to be implemented in long-term home-based programs. In the present study, parents of children with autism who participated in two five-day parent-training courses in Son-Rise Program intervention (separated by several months) completed questionnaires and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist prior to each course. Changes in scores were examined for parents who reported implementing (1) no treatment, (2) low intensity treatment, or (3) high intensity treatment in their homes in the interval between courses. Parents who administered Son-Rise Program intervention reported improvements in communication, sociability, and sensory and cognitive awareness in their children, with greater gains associated with greater hours of treatment per week. This study represents a first step in examining the effects of home-based Son-Rise Programs for children with autism.