Parenting Your Young Child With Autism: A Web-Based Tutorial
Condition: Autistic Disorder
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the efficacy and user satisfaction with a web-based interactive
      tutorial for caregivers of young children with autism designed to a) teach parents how to
      promote their child's development in the core deficit areas, b) help parents understand and
      improve challenging behaviors their child may demonstrate, and c) reduce caregiver stress
      through more effective interactions. It emphasizes everyday situations as opportunities for
      learning, including common home routines and contains videotaped illustrations of parents
      using the techniques taught in the home environment.
    

Detailed description: 
      Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core deficits in social reciprocity,
      verbal and nonverbal communication, and behavior. Early detection and intervention has been
      shown to improve these core deficits, resulting in better long-term outcomes in language
      functioning, cognitive/developmental skills, and social and adaptive behavior. Despite the
      demonstrated benefits of effective intervention, few children receive these specialized
      services, due in part to critical resource barriers, such as the shortage of specialists
      trained to deliver them. The broad, long-term objective of this project is to improve
      outcomes for children with autism and their families by empowering caregivers with the
      knowledge and skills needed to effectively intervene directly with their children as part of
      their daily interactions and routines. By targeting those with the most invested in the
      child's success and the longest lasting influence on a child's long-term growth and
      development, we can help parents in several ways: a) teach parents how to promote their
      child's development in the core deficit areas seen in young children with autism spectrum
      disorders: social interaction, communication, play, and imitation; b) help parents understand
      and improve challenging behaviors their child may demonstrate, and c) reduce caregiver stress
      through more effective interactions.

      To make this training widely accessible to parents of children with autism, we will deliver
      this training through a web-based, multi-media, interactive tutorial. The tutorial will use
      principles of instructional design to more effectively deliver the material and utilize high
      levels of interactivity afforded by the web-based platform to maximize learning. The tutorial
      teaches skills to improve their child's behavior and communication within the framework of
      everyday routines and activities, utilizing interactive exercises and a comprehensive set of
      videos of real parents implementing these strategies with their children within the context
      of everyday situations.

      The specific aims of the proposed Phase II study are:

      Aim 1. To evaluate parents' satisfaction and acceptance of the tutorial program Aim 2. To
      demonstrate the tutorial increases parental knowledge of the principles and techniques for
      improving effective parenting of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

      Aim 3. To demonstrate behavioral improvements in actual parenting skills during the daily
      interactions with their child based on the knowledge gained.

      Aim 4. To demonstrate that the improved parenting skills result in social, communication, and
      behavioral improvements in the children of parents who complete the tutorial.

      Aim 5. To demonstrate that improving parenting skills through the use of this web-based
      tutorial program reduces caregiver stress and depression.
    

Intervention name(s): On LIne Parent Training Tutorial
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Interactive on line tutorial for parenting skills for autism
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Internet; Education