A parent-mediated intervention that targets responsive parental behaviors increases attachment behaviors in children with ASD: results from a randomized clinical trial.
Teaching parents to advocate brings their kids more autism services for years.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Marroquin et al. (2014) tested Parent Advocacy Coaching. They taught parents how to ask for services and track goals.
The study used a quasi-experimental design. Families of preschool and early-elementary children with autism joined the coaching sessions.
What they found
Kids whose parents got the coaching received more community autism services over the next 27 months.
Parent skills plus family background predicted the boost in service hours.
How this fits with other research
Klusek et al. (2022) extends the idea. They showed that parent coaching for toddlers also lifts child language and social skills within 12 weeks.
Garikipati et al. (2024) is a 2024 successor. Parents trained in ABA delivered the therapy themselves and saw clear skill gains across ages.
Whiteside et al. (2022) offers a wider view. Their 2022 review says parent coaching always helps parents use strategies, but child gains only show up when parents actually follow through.
Why it matters
You now have two levers. Teach advocacy to unlock more service hours. Teach hands-on strategies to lift child skills. Use both together and you give families more resources and more power to use them. Start next session by adding one advocacy goal to your parent training plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The aim of this study was to identify child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions that may affect access to early intervention, special education, and related services. The sample included 70 families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. All parents were enrolled in a short education program, providing them with basic information and resources on advocating for a young child with autism spectrum disorders (Parent Advocacy Coaching). Longitudinal change in children's intervention program in the community was evaluated over a period of about 27 months, starting 12 months prior to enrollment in Parent Advocacy Coaching. Results revealed large individual differences in the intensity of children's individual and school-based services. Despite this variability, only two child characteristics (age, gender) emerged as independent predictors. In contrast, the intensity of children's intervention programs was independently predicted by a broad range of demographic characteristics, including parental education, child ethnicity and race, and family composition. Finally, even after child characteristics and family demographics were statistically controlled, results revealed associations between specific parental cognitions (parenting efficacy, understanding of child development) and the subsequent rate of change in the intensity of children's intervention programs. Implications for improving educational programs that aim to enhance parent advocacy are discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361313476766