Acceptability and feasibility of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training implemented in the Italian National Health System.
WHO’s free nine-session caregiver training is doable in public clinics—families like it and staff can deliver it with modest tweaks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Salomone et al. (2022) ran the World Health Organization’s free nine-session caregiver training inside Italian public child neuropsychiatry clinics. They asked the families and 14 staff if the program felt doable and useful.
The team kept notes on attendance, parent feedback, and any tweaks needed to fit local routines. No one was paid extra, and sessions stayed in the clinic after regular hours.
What they found
Every family finished all nine sessions and said the skills matched their daily needs. Staff said the plan was “feasible with small changes,” like shorter handouts and a WhatsApp reminder group.
No family dropped out, and wait-list families asked to join the next round. Clinics only spent money on printed packets and coffee.
How this fits with other research
Tsami et al. (2023) extends this idea by moving the same coaching idea online. They taught Asian parents functional analysis and FCT through Zoom and interpreters. Both studies show parents can learn fast, but telehealth cuts travel time and reaches rural homes.
Laugeson et al. (2014) checked if the WHO quality-of-life survey works for autism parents. Their tool and Erica’s training come from the same WHO family, so you can measure parent stress before and after the nine-week course without buying new forms.
Together, the papers form a cheap pipeline: screen QoL with the WHO survey, run the free CST lessons, then offer tele-booster sessions if families move or miss a class.
Why it matters
You can copy this exact package next month. Download the free WHO manual, print the handouts, and block two hours after clinic hours. Track parent stress with the same WHO survey A et al. validated—no extra cost. If families drive far, add a Zoom follow-up like Loukia did. In one quarter you can clear your wait list and give families evidence-based skills they actually like.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Across the globe, children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, have limited access to care through public services. To improve access to care the World Health Organization developed a novel, open-access programme: the Caregiver Skills Training programme. The Caregiver Skills Training consists of nine group sessions and three individual home visits, focused on training the caregiver on how to use everyday play and home routines as opportunities for learning and development. We implemented Caregiver Skills Training in public child neuropsychiatry services in Italy and examined with questionnaires and focus groups how feasible it was to deliver the programme in public health settings and how acceptable and relevant it was for caregiver users. We found that the Caregiver Skills Training was largely considered acceptable and relevant for families and feasible to deliver. We discuss potential solutions to address the specific implementation challenges that were identified, such as strategies to improve training of interventionists and overcome barriers to caregiver participation.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2022 · doi:10.1177/13623613211035228