Initial efficacy of project ImPACT: a parent-mediated social communication intervention for young children with ASD.

Ingersoll et al. (2013) taught eight moms how to use Project ImPACT. The kids were preschoolers with autism.

The team used a multiple-baseline design. They watched parent fidelity and child language during home visits.

All eight moms hit high fidelity scores. Six of the eight kids began to talk more on their own.

Better parent fidelity lined up with more child words within the same session.

Yoder et al. (2020) ran an RCT with baby siblings. ImPACT helped only low-risk girls with one ASD sibling. It did not cut parent stress. The 2013 study looked rosier, but it used smaller samples and older kids.

Schertz et al. (2018) also coached parents of toddlers. They used mediated learning instead of ImPACT. Both teams saw social-communication gains, so the method matters less than parent delivery.

Ferguson et al. (2022) copied the telehealth route. Parents still hit high fidelity and kids gained mand, tact, and intraverbal skills. The mode can change; the parent skill link holds.

You can start parent ImPACT coaching today. Pick one routine—snack time or toy play. Model the strategy, let the parent practice, and give live praise. Track fidelity with a simple checklist. When the parent hits 80 %, watch for new child words in that same routine. The link is real and fast.