title: Brief report: mediation of treatment effect in a communication intervention for pre-school children with autism.
abstract: Tests of mediation in treatment trials can illuminate processes of change and suggest causal influences in development. We conducted a mediation analysis of a previously published randomised controlled trial of parent-mediated communication-focused treatment for autism against ordinary care, with 28 children aged 2-5 years (Aldred et al. in J Child Psychol Psychiatr 45:1-11, 2004). The hypothesised mediating process, targeted by the intervention, was an increase in parental synchronous response within parent-child interaction. The results showed partial mediation, with change in synchrony accounting for 34% of the positive intervention effect on autism symptomatology (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule communication and social domain algorithm); the result was confirmed by bootstrap estimation. Improved parental synchronous response to child communication can alter short-term autism symptom outcome with targeted therapy.
authors.affiliation: Stockport Provider Services, Stockport, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aldred
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emsley
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McConachie
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016896:Treatment Outcome