Parent Training and Coaching

Over the past few years scientists have conducted countless studies and compiled more and more data than ever before regarding autism. Many of those multiple research studies have focused on the importance of "parent training" as a critical component in creating positive outcomes for students with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Speaks (http://autismspeaks.org) has participated in the funding of several large scale research projects studying the effects of parent training.  Wetherby et. al. (2014) found that children with autism make significant progress when their parents receive training and coaching in teaching social communication skills.    

Teaching Social Communication to Children with Autism: A Practitioner's Guide to Parent Training assists early childhood programs in providing parents training and coaching specific to their child’s unique needs.  The program is grounded in developmental and behavioral research.  The program focuses on training parents/caregivers to improve their child’s social engagement, language, social, imitation and play skills.  Caregivers are taught to use both indirect and direct teaching strategies to achieve optimal goals for the child. Click here to learn more about Dvortcsak Speech and Language Services.

In an early intervention study conducted by Bacon et. al. (2014), the scientific researchers implemented the STAR Program and trained parents using the Teaching Social Communication Program.  The study consequently found that students with autism made noticably significant gains in skills learned snd retained. Click here for further information about this study.

• Teaching Social Communication - Practitioner 
• Teaching Social Communication - Parents
• Learn More About The STAR Program

References
Bacon, E., Dufek, S., Schreibman, L., Stahmer, A., Pierce, K., & Courchesne, E. (2014). Measuring
outcome in an early intervention program for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: Use of a
curriculum-based assessment. Autism Research and Treatment, 2014, 1–9.

Ingersoll, B. and Dvortcsak, A. (2010). Teaching social communication to children with autism: A
practitioner’s guide to parent training and a manual for parents. New York: Guilford Press.
 

Wetherby, A., Guthrie, W., Woods, J., Schatschneider, C, Holland, R., Morgan,L., Lord, C.,  (2014). Parent-
implemented social intervention for toddlers with autism: an RCT.  Pediatrics, 134:6 1084-1093.