16752
The Use of a Mobile APP Parent Training Program to Improve Functional Communication in Young Children with Autism
There is a significant increase in the number of diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in recent years. Evidence-based practices are found to be most promising in improving the functioning of children with autism, however, limited resources and high costs have hindered them from receiving prompt and timely intervention. Communication intervention in early life will impact significantly on long term outcomes of ASD children. Parents are found to be vital and important resources and training them to be therapists will help reduce their cost for intervention. The project is an initial step to test the use of technology to disseminate an evidence-based practice in an effective and efficient way.
Objectives:
The primary purpose of the project is to examine the effectiveness of using a mobile application to train parents to implement naturalistic language intervention so that their young child with autism will improve in their functional communication, especially in requesting objects in their daily contexts.
Methods:
A mobile app was developed for parent training, using the adult training framework of ‘Behavioral Modelling Training’ to deliver the content of Naturalistic Language Intervention. Parents and their young child with ASD (aged 3-5) were recruited. A pilot study of single subject experimental design was conducted across 3 parent-child dyads. Behaviours of both parents and children were measured during the phase of baseline, training, post training (i.e. parent’s intervention on child) and follow up. Social validity, app program acceptability and satisfaction were administered with survey forms.
Results:
Results of the pilot study underway will be reported. Parental gains in knowledge and principles of Naturalistic Language Intervention, their frequency of utilization of the mobile app during the course of parent training will be shared. Changes in target behaviors of both parents and children during and after training will also be reported.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that Mobile applications in behavioural intervention are a promising means for improving efficiency and effectiveness in evidence-based practice Further research is needed to assess generalizability of parent and child gains.