"I'm not in this alone" the perspective of parents mediating a physical activity intervention for their children with autism spectrum disorder.
A private Facebook group gives parents a cheap, friendly space to keep kids with autism active, as long as you sprinkle in extra guidance for those who need it.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Healy et al. (2018) asked parents what it felt like to run a Facebook-based exercise program for their kids with autism. The program, Project CHASE, used a private group to share workout videos, tips, and peer support.
The researchers held focus groups and phone chats with the parents. They wanted to know if the online space helped or hindered daily physical activity.
What they found
Parents liked the Facebook group. It reminded them to move and gave them a cheering squad of other moms and dads. One mom said, "I'm not in this alone."
Some parents wanted clearer step-by-step guides. They felt lost without a coach checking in each week.
How this fits with other research
Llanes et al. (2020) also used online parent training. Their web course taught PRT and saw the same positive parent buy-in. Both studies show a screen can replace the clinic room.
Reinert et al. (2020) match the low-cost angle. They trained parents via Google Slides to build digital schedules. Free web tools keep cash-strapped families in the game.
Gunning et al. (2020) push the idea further. Parents ran the full Preschool Life Skills program at home and got the same skill jumps we see in clinic. The trio of papers says: parents can deliver, no fancy center needed.
Why it matters
You can launch a private Facebook group this afternoon. Post one short exercise clip, tag the parents, and let them share wins and questions. Add a mid-week live check-in for the families who want more direction. You get daily practice without extra travel or gear.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Web-based, parent-mediated interventions have shown to be beneficial for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a variety of domains. We aimed to examine how parents of children with ASD perceive mediating a physical activity intervention delivered via a private Facebook group. METHODS: Thirteen families participated in a four-week trial of Project CHASE. Inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and interactions within the Facebook group were conducted to elicit the perspective of the parents. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Thematic analysis resulted in three themes emerging: (1) 'Remembering to Act' encompassed the participants' perspectives of Project CHASE as being an intervention that reminded them of the importance of physical activity, and served as a prompt for them to take action; (2) 'A sharing community' included the subthemes of 'sharing success and struggles' and 'sharing ideas'; and, (3) 'Taking control: possibilities and problems' encapsulates the dichotomy between participants who spoke of embracing and rising to the challenge of taking control, with the parents who spoke of the need for more support, direction, and guidance. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: The current study suggests parent-mediated, web-based interventions may have the potential for improving the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for children with ASD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.08.014