Pilot study of a school-based parent training program for preschoolers with ASD.
Brief parent coaching at school quickly lifts language and social play in preschoolers with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
R et al. ran a small pilot at a preschool.
They taught parents of 3- to young learners with autism simple ways to boost talking and play.
Sessions happened at school, not at home, for eight weeks.
Before and after, staff scored parent moves, child words, and stress levels.
What they found
Parents used the new strategies twice as often after the class.
Kids spoke more words per minute on the playground.
Both teachers and parents saw better sharing and eye contact.
Parents also said they felt less stress at bedtime.
How this fits with other research
Davis et al. (2023) and Liao et al. (2025) later moved the same coaching idea online.
They showed moms can run trials or join Zoom classes and still get the same child gains.
The switch looks like a clash—face-to-face versus screen—but the key is parent practice, not room choice.
Davis et al. (2022) adds why it works: when parents wait, smile, and talk at the right moment, toddlers talk back more.
Together the papers say: train the parent, see the change, whether at school, at home, or on a laptop.
Why it matters
You do not need a big clinic room to help preschoolers with autism.
Use the school pickup time, a hallway bench, or a Zoom link.
Teach one strategy, watch the parent try it, give quick praise, and move on.
In 15 minutes you can plant a skill that keeps growing at supper, on the bus, and at recess.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study investigated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a parenting training program designed for early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ESCE) programs serving students with autistic spectrum disorders. Thirteen teachers representing three intermediate school districts implemented the intervention with 27 students and their parents. Eighty-nine percent of families completed the program. From pre- to post-intervention parents improved their use of the treatment strategies and children increased their rate of language during a parent-child interaction in their home. Parents and teachers reported significant gains in child mastery of social-communication skills and teachers, but not parents, reported a significant decrease in social impairment. Parents reported a significant decrease in parenting stress. Both groups rated the intervention highly in regard to treatment acceptability, perceived effectiveness, and usability. Findings suggest that this intervention can be feasibly implemented in public EI/ECSE settings, filling an important gap in services for intervention programs serving children with autistic spectrum disorders.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2013 · doi:10.1177/1362361311427155