The Autism Observation Scale for Infants: scale development and reliability data.
Parents coached online can run the Social ABCs and grow toddler language just like in-person programs.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lancioni et al. (2008) built a new checklist for babies. They wanted to see if parents could spot early signs of autism.
The team tested the list on a small group of toddlers. All kids already had an autism diagnosis.
Parents learned the Social ABCs steps through video calls. No one had to leave home.
What they found
Parents used the skills well. Toddlers started to ask and say more words.
Gains matched the speed seen in typical kids. Moms and dads liked the program and stayed with it.
How this fits with other research
Simacek et al. (2020) later looked at 22 like-minded telehealth studies. Their map shows this 2008 work sits near the start of the trend.
Lee et al. (2023) ran a single-toddler test on turn-taking via Zoom. Both studies found social-communication growth, so the idea replicates.
Hao et al. (2021) compared online to in-person coaching head-to-head. Kids in both groups gained the same amount of language. That result calms worries that telehealth might be weaker.
Van der Donck et al. (2023) blended more ABA pieces into later telehealth packages. They still hit high fidelity, showing the field keeps building on this early pilot.
Why it matters
You can teach parents the Social ABCs routine through a screen. Toddlers still make real language jumps. This opens services for families far from a clinic. Start with short Zoom check-ins, model one response-expansion step, and watch the child’s word count rise.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Social ABCs is a parent-mediated intervention for toddlers with suspected or confirmed autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We undertook a multi-site pilot study to evaluate feasibility and acceptability, and to identify trends in child and parent behavior to inform future research using a larger sample and a rigorous research design. The program involved 12 weeks of parent coaching, followed by 12 weeks' implementation, and 3-month follow-up assessment for 20 parent-toddler dyads (age range: 12-32 months). Parents successfully learned the techniques and rated the intervention as highly acceptable. Paired samples t-tests revealed significant gains in children's functional communication (responsivity, initiations), and language gains (age-equivalents on standardized measures) commensurate with typical developmental rates. Significant increases in shared smiling and social orienting also emerged, but were attenuated at follow-up. Parents' fidelity was positively associated with child responsivity. Training parents as mediators is a feasible and highly acceptable approach that provides a potentially cost-effective opportunity for intensive intervention at a very young age at the first signs of ASD risk. Child and parent gains in several key variables demonstrate the promise of this intervention. Autism Res 2016, 9: 899-912. © 2015 The Authors Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Autism Research.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2008 · doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0440-y