Improvements in social and adaptive functioning following short-duration PRT program: a clinical replication.
Four months of parent-coached PRT lifts social and adaptive skills in cognitively-able preschoolers with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ventola et al. (2014) ran a small clinical study. Ten bright preschoolers with autism got four months of Pivotal Response Treatment. Therapists coached parents in homes and clinics. Kids were tested before and after with standard social and daily-living scales.
What they found
Every child made gains, but the size differed. Social talking and self-care scores rose. The shortest program so far still moved the needle for cognitively-able little ones.
How this fits with other research
McMiezah et al. (2020) ran a larger six-month RCT and also saw strong social gains. Their automated vocal counts back up the 2014 parent-report scores. The two studies line up — PRT keeps working.
Anonymous (2021) tried PRT parent coaching with toddlers who had delays but no autism. Language still grew, showing PRT can reach beyond the autism label.
Factor et al. (2022) used telehealth parent groups for PEERS, not PRT. They saw small social gains too. The mode changed but the parent-coach heart stayed the same.
Why it matters
You can offer a four-month PRT package and expect real progress in social and daily skills for bright preschoolers on your caseload. Start parent coaching early, track each child’s pace, and be ready to extend if gains slow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an empirically validated behavioral treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of the current study was to assess the efficacy of PRT for ten cognitively-able preschool-aged children with ASD in the context of a short-duration (4-month) treatment model. Most research on PRT used individual behavioral goals as outcome measures, but the current study utilized standardized assessments of broader-based social communication and adaptive skills. The children made substantial gains; however, magnitude and consistency of response across measures were variable. The results provide additional support for the efficacy of PRT as well as evidence for improvements in higher-order social communication and adaptive skill development within the context of a short-duration PRT model.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2014 · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2145-3