Evaluation of Low-intensity Therapist-Delivered Intervention in Addition to Parent Coaching for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

Parents are often expected to be the primary implementers of intervention for their young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The provision of a few hours a week of intervention by a trained therapist, in addition to parent-implemented intervention, could increase child outcomes compared to parent-implemented intervention in isolation. This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week parent coaching program based on the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) followed by 12-weeks of therapist-delivered ESDM intervention for four children with ASD. The effects of these interventions on child participation, functional utterances, and imitation were evaluated using a multiple probe across participants design. Children’s participation improved during both interventions. Children generally showed greater improvements in imitation with the therapist than with their parents but showed minimal improvements in functional utterances. This suggests there may be some benefit to low-intensity therapy in addition to parent coaching, but more research is needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• direct therapy
• early intervention
• Early Start Denver Model
• naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention
• parent training
• parent-implemented
• preschool children

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by funding from the IHC foundation. Andrew Whitehouse is supported by a Senior Research Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council (1077966).