Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Partners in School is a collection of implementation strategies (e.g., communication training, problem-solving consultation) to help parents/primary caregivers and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder implement the same practices across home and school.

Detailed Description
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A small scale pilot trial of Partners in School with education communication skills (ECS) training will be implemented. Teachers (n=24) will be randomly assigned to receive Partners in School (pre-consultation, consultation, implementation of student intervention, and post- consultation) with ECS (n=12; between pre-consultation and consultation) or without ECS (n=12). Each teacher will work with two parents (n=48), with both conditions having 24 dyads. Pre and post measures will assess mechanisms of change, proximal, and distal outcomes.

Official Title
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Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School for Children With Autism by Improving Parent-Teacher Communication During the Transition to School

Conditions
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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Education communication skills (ECS) training
* Behavioral: Partners in School


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Must be parent/primary caregiver or full-time, lead teacher Must have or teach preschool, pre- kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade child with ASD Must have or teach child with ASD that can see and hear Access to internet via wifi-enabled phone, tablet, or computer Must be English or Spanish speaking An active email - Exclusion Criteria: Parents with younger (less than preschool) or older children (in 2nd grade or above) Teachers who teach older than 1st grade. Teaching assistants

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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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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: Partners in School with Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training<br>Parents and teachers in the experimental condition will receive Partners in School with communication training. | Behavioral: Education communication skills (ECS) training<br>* Education communication skills (ECS) training videos were developed from LEAPS (Listen, Educate, Assess, Partner and Support), a set of 10- to 20- sec videos that help patients and physicians communicate health concerns and treatment plans to each other. ECS training videos target parent-teacher communication during the transition to school for children with autism.<br>Behavioral: Partners in School<br>* Partners in School is a problem-solving consultation that encourages parents and teachers to implement the same evidence-based interventions across home and school<br>|
| Active Comparator: Partners in School without Education Communication Skills (ECS) Training<br>Parents and teachers in the control condition will receive Partners in School without communication training. | Behavioral: Partners in School<br>* Partners in School is a problem-solving consultation that encourages parents and teachers to implement the same evidence-based interventions across home and school<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS) | The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover. | baseline | 
| Adapted LEAPS Questionnaire about ECS training (A-LEAPS) | The A-LEAPS will be an 18-item parent questionnaire (adapted patient form) and a 23-item teacher questionnaire (adapted physician form). At the baseline self-assessment, parents and teachers will be asked to report on their communication practices using never, sometimes, or always used. At the post-consultation self-assessment, they will be asked to again reflect on their communication practices, but this time with the specific Partners in School parent-teacher consultation meeting just completed. An example item is, I set an agenda for the meeting so that I am sure we get to all the things I want to cover. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II) | The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, I don't like the way this teacher talks to me. | baseline | 
| Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale-Second Edition (PTRS-II) | The PTRS-II is a 24-item measure that examines the degree of connection felt between parent and teacher pairs, by examining joining (affiliation and support, dependability and availability, shared expectations and beliefs, and communication from the other) and communication to the other (sharing of emotion and sharing of information). A five-point Likert scale is used from almost never to almost always. An example item is, I don't like the way this teacher talks to me. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ) | The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan. It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory | baseline | 
| Parent-Teacher Alliance Questionnaire (PTAQ) | The PTAQ is a 20-item measure that assesses the degree to which parents believe they have a sound working relationship with the teacher (and vice versa). A five-point Likert scale is used from strongly agree to strongly disagree. An example item is, My child's teacher treats me as a partner in the development of my child's education plan. It was adapted from the Parenting Alliance Inventory | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS) | The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress. | baseline | 
| Participation in Problem Solving Scale (PPSS) | The PPSS asks respondents to assess their problem solving competencies using 12-items. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale from disagree very strongly to agree very strongly. An example item is, I gathered specific information to measure this student's progress. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Change from Baseline Fidelity (to Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks | Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of intervention steps completed by parents (parent fidelity) and teachers (teacher fidelity) will be computed. | daily for three weeks | 
| Change from Baseline Alignment (of Student Intervention Plan) at 3 weeks | Daily home-school notes will list the steps in the student intervention plan generated during the consultation meeting. Parents and teachers will indicate whether each step was completed at home or at school, respectively. The number of steps in the student intervention plan completed by both parents and teachers will be used as the measure of continuity. | daily for three weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Frequency and Severity Form (FSF) | Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, How often does this occur with your child at school or at home? The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home? The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School. | baseline | 
| Frequency and Severity Form (FSF) | Using the FSF form, the consultant will ask parents and teachers to report on the top three concerns that they have for the child, as well as to rate the frequency and severity of each of those concerns. The frequency question asks, How often does this occur with your child at school or at home? The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to always. The severity question asks, How much does this impact your child's daily functioning at school or at home? The concern is rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from rarely to extremely. This measure was designed specifically for Partners in School. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI) | The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with autism. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills. | baseline | 
| Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI) | The PDDBI is an informant-based rating scale designed to assist in the assessment of children who have been diagnosed with ASD. This measure has been developed to assess both problem behaviors as well as appropriate social, language, and learning/memory skills. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) | The home-school notes will assess the child's progress toward his/her pre-determined goal that will be formulated by parents and teachers during the consultation meeting. We will use an adapted goal attainment scaling (GAS), ranging from the situation got significantly worse (-2) to the situation got significantly better (+2). | daily for three weeks | 
| Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS) | The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs? | baseline | 
| Family-Professional Partnership Scale (FPPS) | The FPPS is an 18-item measure designed to assess the extent of parent or teacher satisfaction with their partnership orientated practices using subscales about child-focused relationships and family-focused relationships. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. An example question is, How satisfied are you that your child's teacher values your opinions about your child's needs? | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF) | The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent? Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School. | baseline | 
| Self-Efficacy with Communication Form (SECF) | The SECF is a five-item questionnaire designed to capture important constructs in the self-efficacy literature (e.g., competency, effectiveness, and confidence). Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. An example question is, How confident are you at communicating with this student's parent? Items were derived from prior studies on self-efficacy and are sensitive to changes in Partners in School. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks | 
| Consultant Adherence | The Partners in School objective checklists will be used to evaluate the extent to which the consultant followed the necessary components of the Partners in School protocol. The checklist has separate objectives for the pre-consultation, consultation, and post-consultation. An example objective for the pre-consultation is, Asked about the frequency of the concern. | at study completion, an average of 10 weeks |