Evidence-Based and Scalable Parent Training for ASD

Background: To address the need for increased access to care and lower-cost treatments for children with ASD, researchers have investigated the effectiveness of solely parent-delivered treatment with positive results (Hardan et al., 2014; Minjarez et al., 2011; Coolican et al., 2010). Moreover, a recent RCT indicates that teaching parents ABA principles via video coaching is effective, and treatment acceptability is equivalent between the telemedicine and clinic-based groups (Lindgren et al. 2016). MindNest Health is a digital health tool that trains parents to implement ABA skills and strategies as well as positive behavioral approaches. A self-guided curriculum comprising animated parent-child simulations trains parents in ABA strategies and skills. A behavioral coach helps parents identify target goals for their child and supports parents as they navigate the program from training to implementation. Coaches refer to a higher level of care when clinically indicated. Pilots of the MindNest Health digital tool are beginning in the US, Norway, and China.

Objectives: This project aims to use the Behavior Intervention Rating Scale (BIRS) to record users’ acceptance of this technology solution in the context of user testing performed by a user testing company. Users will mark a likert scale indicating whether they Strongly disagree (1), Disagree (2), Slightly Disagree (3), Slightly agree (4), or Agree (5) with questions that measure perceived acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention.

Methods: The BIRS was filled out by 6 parents after participating in user testing.

Results: Responses on the BIRS filled out by users in the context of user testing by an independent user testing company predominantly reflected high scores.

Conclusions: MindNest Health’s digital platform holds promise to improve access to evidence-based and scalable interventions for children with ASD. A live demo will be presented during the poster session.