A Survey of Community Providers on Feeding Problems in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Behavioral parent training reliably cuts parent-reported disruptive behavior in autistic kids and also lowers parent stress.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Burrell et al. (2025) pooled nine randomized trials of behavioral parent training for autistic children. They looked at how the programs changed parent reports of disruptive behavior, hyperactivity, and stress.
What they found
The meta-analysis showed a medium drop in parent-rated disruptive behavior. Parent stress and child hyperactivity also improved, but the gains were smaller.
How this fits with other research
Lee et al. (2022) found parent training lifted parenting confidence yet left caregiver stress untouched. Lindsey’s new meta adds child behavior data and shows stress does fall when parents learn to manage disruptive acts.
Breider et al. (2024) tested the same training in real clinics. Face-to-face coaching beat wait-list, but a blended online format did not. Lindsey’s pooled effect supports the live-coach model.
Bearss et al. (2013) ran an early pilot and saw a 54 % drop in irritability. The 2025 meta now confirms that large single-study drop holds up across nine controlled trials.
Why it matters
You can tell funders and families that behavioral parent training has a solid mid-size impact on disruptive behavior and a small but real bonus for parent stress. Use face-to-face formats when possible; online blends may not deliver the same punch. Start training as soon as problem behaviors surface—the evidence is strongest when parents get live coaching and practice daily at home.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
There is growing interest in the development of behavioral parent interventions targeting emotional and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorders. Such interventions have potential to improve a number of child and parental well-being outcomes beyond disruptive child behavior. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses evidence for the efficacy of behavioral parent interventions for disruptive and hyperactive child behavior in autism spectrum disorders, as well as parenting efficacy and stress. A total of 11 articles from nine randomized controlled trials were included. Sufficient data were available to calculate standardized mean difference and show favorable effects of behavioral parent interventions on parent-reported measures of child disruptive behavior (standardized mean difference = 0.67), hyperactivity (standardized mean difference = 0.31) and parent stress (standardized mean difference = 0.37); effects on parent efficacy are less clear (standardized mean difference = 0.39, p = 0.17). There were insufficient data to explore intervention effects on internalizing behavior in autism spectrum disorders, parenting behaviors, or observational and teacher-reported outcomes, providing important avenues for future research. This review adds to growing evidence of the efficacy of behavioral parent interventions for child behavior and parental well-being in autism spectrum disorders (Prospero: CRD42016033979).
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1177/1362361319830042