Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Group Intervention for Parents of Children With a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study is being conducted to look at whether a group programme designed for parents of children with a diagnosis of Autism is effective. The programme is called The START Programme ©- as it aims to provide a Supportive and Therapeutic environment to help parents gain Acceptance and reach Resolution so that they can Take action to live more consistently with their values. The programme was developed by two psychologists in Longford/Westmeath, Ireland, Dr. Michelle Howard and Kara McDermott in 2013, because they identified a lack of therapeutic support for such parents. The programme draws on research and theory from a branch of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as some other psychological techniques. Individuals who agree to participate in the research will be assigned at random to the intervention or to a treatment as usual control condition. They will be asked to fill out 4 questionnaires, on 3 different occasions, with a 7 week gap between the first time and second time, and a 3 month gap between the second and third time.

Official Title
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Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Group Intervention for Parents of Children With a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Attending a Psychological Service

Conditions
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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: START programme
* Behavioral: Treatment as Usual


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participants must be adults over the age of 18 with the capacity to provide informed consent who are willing to take part in all aspects of the study They must have at least 1 child with a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder who is linked in with one of the psychology service sites involved in the study. They must not have completed the START programme before, or be concurrently attending another group based parental intervention. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals who are under the age of 18, or who unable or unwilling to provide informed consent for all aspects of the study will be not included. Individuals who are receiving other current group based parental interventions will not be included. Couples may not attend the programme together, as outlined by the Psychologists who developed the programme.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention group<br>Group that receives the intervention | Behavioral: START programme<br>* Acceptance and Commitment Therapy based programme for parents of children with Autism<br>|
| Active Comparator: Control group<br>Group that receives treatment as usual | Behavioral: Treatment as Usual<br>* Treatment as usual in outpatient within outpatient psychology services<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in psychological flexibility | Measured using the Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes (CompACT) | Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Parenting stress | Measured using The Autism Parenting Stress Index | Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7) | 
| Mental wellbeing | Measured using The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scales (WEMWBS) | Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7) | 
| Parent relationship | Parent Problem Checklist (PPC) | Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7) |