Pivotal response group treatment program for parents of children with autism.
The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders is increasing, necessitating the development of efficient treatment models. Research has demonstrated that parent-delivered behavioral interventions are a viable treatment model; however, little research has focused on teaching parents in groups. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that parents can learn Pivotal Response Training (PRT) in group therapy, resulting in correlated gains in children's language. Baseline and post-treatment data were obtained and examined for changes in (a) parent fidelity of PRT implementation, and (b) child functional verbal utterances. Significant differences were observed for both variables. These findings suggest that parents can learn PRT in a group format, resulting in correlated child language gains, thus future controlled studies are warranted.
Minjarez
Mendy Boettcher
MB
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. mendy.minjarez@seattlechildrens.org
Williams
Sharon E
SE
Mercier
Emma M
EM
Hardan
Antonio Y
AY
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D014741:Video Recording