The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a parent training program in the treatment of social and communication deficits in children with autism. Specifically, this study will evaluate a developmentally based parent delivered intervention in the community developed by Pacific Autism Center for Education (PACE).
Presently there is limited research to suggest efficacious interventions for infants at-risk for autism. Pivotal response treatment (PRT) has empirical support for use with preschool children with autism, but there are no reports in the literature utilizing this approach with infants. In the current study, a developmental adaptation of PRT was piloted via a brief parent training model with three infants at-risk for autism. Utilizing a multiple baseline design, the data suggest that the introduction of PRT resulted in increases in the infants' frequency of functional communication and parents' fidelity of implementation of PRT procedures. Results provide preliminary support for the feasibility and utility of PRT for very young children at-risk for autism.
View details for DOI 10.1007/s10803-012-1542-8
View details for Web of Science ID 000313073700009
View details for PubMedID 22573001