Acceptability and feasibility of a parent-mediated social-communication therapy for young autistic children in Brazil: A qualitative implementation study of Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy.
Brazilian families embrace Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy when you season it with local culture first.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Brandi Gomes Godoy et al. (2024) asked Brazilian parents and clinicians what they thought of Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy. They ran group chats and interviews to see if the program felt doable and respectful.
The team tweaked some words and pictures so the plan fit local culture. They wanted to know if families would stick with it before rolling it out bigger.
What they found
Parents liked the therapy and said it helped them talk more with their autistic toddlers. Clinicians said the steps were clear and fit their routine.
Small changes—like using local toy examples—made the plan feel natural. No one dropped out, a good sign the program is ready for wider use.
How this fits with other research
Cappadocia et al. (2012) ran a controlled trial years earlier and showed parent-mediated communication coaching really can lessen autism symptoms. Priscilla’s 2024 work extends that idea by showing Brazilian families will actually use it.
Strang et al. (2017) tested video modeling with Brazilian parents and saw 70% good compliance. Priscilla’s PACT study matches that feasibility, but uses live coaching instead of videos, giving clinicians a second low-cost option.
Rosales et al. (2021) heard Latino families in the USA say language barriers block ABA services. Priscilla’s team avoided the same wall by building Portuguese materials from day one, showing adaptation can be planned rather than patched later.
Why it matters
If you coach parents of young autistic children, you now have proof that Brazilian families will follow through. Borrow the cultural tweak playbook: swap in local toys, phrases, and examples before you start. The same quick fixes can help any Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking family on your caseload feel welcome and stay engaged.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of autistic children and health professionals who work with autistic children in Brazil had positive views about introducing Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy as a therapy for autistic children in Brazil. The parents and clinicians also mentioned some difficulties about using Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy in Brazil. We made adaptations to Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy to address these difficulties. Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy is a therapy to support the development of social and communication skills for autistic children aged 2-10 years. The therapy is conducted with the autistic child's parent. Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy has not been used in Brazil before. There are few therapy options available for autistic children in Brazil and we believed that Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy may be useful. We asked three groups of people in Brazil about their views of Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy, after explaining how the therapy works. Group 1 included 18 parents of autistic children aged 2-10 years. Group 2 included 20 health professionals such as psychologists who work with autistic children. Group 3 included 15 parents of autistic children aged 2-7 years who received the Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy. We learned that parents and clinicians felt that Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy would be a beneficial therapy for autistic children in Brazil. We also found out about the challenges of using Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy in Brazil. We used these findings to make small cultural adaptations to Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy to make it more suitable for Brazil.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2024 · doi:10.1177/13623613221144501