Naturalistic treatment of an autistic child.

The team worked with one autistic child and his parents. First they taught the parents in a clinic. Then the parents ran the program at home.

They used simple rewards and prompts. The goals were fewer tantrums, more listening, and new imitation skills.

Rituals and crying dropped. Compliance and imitation grew. The child kept the gains while parents kept the plan.

The study showed parents can be the main therapists if you give them clear steps and strong reinforcers.

Lovaas et al. (1973) ran the same idea with twenty kids. Gains lasted only when parents kept using the tactics. The single-child result lines up with the larger group.

Breider et al. (2024) later tested parent training in a full RCT. Face-to-face coaching beat a wait-list, giving stronger proof than the 1973 case.

Singh et al. (1982) asked parents how they felt. Most liked the cotherapist role, yet half quit the methods later. This warns us to build follow-up support from day one.

You already know parent training works. This 1973 paper is the seed that grew into today’s programs. Use it when you need a quick story: teach in clinic, practice at home, keep reinforcers powerful, and check back often so parents don’t drift.