Description
Research consistently demonstrates that more positive outcomes are possible in children's mental health treatment across a range of diagnoses when parents play an active role in their child's treatment. The current study examines early interventionists' use of specific techniques to support parent engagement in community services for families of children at-risk for autism spectrum disorder. A total of 15 therapists and 18 families were recorded across 54 videos of early intervention. Seven of the therapists had received training in a specific parent-mediated intervention and parent engagement strategies (in a prior study), while the remainder were recorded delivering care as usual (control group, n=8). Observational coding was used to measure and characterize therapists' use of engagement strategies directed at the parent during therapy sessions across groups. Mixed model analyses indicate that trained therapists were significantly more likely to be using empirically supported parent engagement strategies than usual care therapists. This study emphasizes the importance of equipping therapists with the skills to effectively involve parents in their child's intervention as a way to promote the quality of intervention delivered in community settings.
