Effectiveness of a Time-limited Parent Training Program via Telehealth for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Externalizing Behavior.

Objective: The Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) Autism Network Parent Training Program is an effective behavioral parent training program for reducing child externalizing behavior and parenting stress in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study examined the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of a time-limited (i.e., 6-10 sessions), telehealth delivered, and community-based adaptation of the RUBI program for families of children with suspected or diagnosed ASD.

Method: Twenty-six parents started treatment, and 18 were considered treatment completers (i.e., completed a minimum of 6 sessions). To assess effectiveness, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-4-SF), and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) were used. Feasibility was evaluated through therapist fidelity, Therapist-Reported Parent Objectives, session attendance, and homework completion. Parent satisfaction was measured via a post-treatment questionnaire.

Results: No significant differences were found from pretreatment to post-treatment on the ABC-2; however, there were significant reductions in the PSI-4-SF Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscale (p < 0.05) along with reductions in the PSI-4-SF Total Stress score (p < 0.05). Half of the treatment completers showed clinically significant improvement on the CGI-I. Overall, there were high therapist treatment fidelity, parent completed objectives, attendance, and homework completion. Furthermore, there were high approval ratings across several satisfaction categories.

Conclusion: Results provide support for the continued research and use of brief, flexible, telehealth intervention formats in community settings for children suspected of or diagnosed with ASD diagnosis and their families.