Training and Supporting Caregivers in Evidence-Based Practices

Abstract

Parent training programs have been demonstrated to be effective in addressing many areas of difficulty experienced by children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These methodologies have also been effective in teaching general behavioral interventions as part of comprehensive treatment packages. The field of parenting training is primarily dominated by ABA strategies and the majority of the available research has involved ABA techniques. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is one form of parent training that has repeatedly demonstrated effectiveness in training parents to provide therapy to their children with ASD. Other options such as group-based and short-term interventions show promise in research, but more studies are needed. Despite these positive findings, there are still areas that need to be addressed in the field of parent training with families of children with ASD. Several limitations exist in the research methodology utilized to date to study parent training. Many of the parent training studies currently available are short term in nature and longer outcomes need to be examined. Another methodological issue is what research has been primarily conducted using pre- and posttest or single subject designs. There is a need for more RCTs that compare structured parent training with control groups. This is particularly important given the significant amount of time and money both families and providers are likely to devote to parent training programs, and not all programs have demonstrated effectiveness in RCT studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)