Category: Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders
CYnthia Anderson, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
May Institute
Boone, North Carolina
Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D.
Cleveland Clinic & Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Eric Butter, Ph.D.
Chief of Psychology; Director of Behavioral Health; Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Nationwide Childrens Hospital
Columbus, Ohio
Ryan Martin, Ph.D.
May Institute & National Autism Center
Raleigh, North Carolina
CYnthia Anderson, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
May Institute
Boone, North Carolina
Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D.
Cleveland Clinic & Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Karen Bearss, Ph.D.
University of Washington, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Kevin Stephenson, Ph.D.
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits and repetitive and restrictive behaviors (APA, 2013), but many individuals with ASD have co-occurring behaviors warranting treatment to include serious disruptive behaviors (aggression, tantrums self-injury) and sleep problems. The Centers for Disease Control estimate the prevalence rate for ASD as 1 in 44—a much higher rate than was found in earlier studies. However, the empirical foundation of many existing treatments is modest (Warren et al., 2011). Thus, time-limited, evidence based interventions that result in relevant change and that can be delivered in community practice are needed to advance the health and well-being of children affected by ASD and their families.
Parent training is of considerable interest, due to the central role that parents have in promoting the development of their children. Parent training, lasting 8-12 sessions, is an efficacious intervention for a wide range of serious problems in children without ASD (e.g., conduct problems and obesity)(Reid, Webster-Stratton, & Baydar, 2004; Slusser et al., 2012). For children with ASD, parent training has been used to address severe disruptive behavior, child language and adaptive skills, child joint attention and other early social communication skills. Although findings from studies on parent training for social communication are mixed,(Carter et al., 2001; Dawson & Burner, 2011; Dawson et al., 2010; Green et al., 2010; Oosterling et al., 2010) studies to date on parent training for disruptive behavior consistently demonstrate the potential efficacy of parent training (Aman et al., 2009b; Scahill et al., 2012; Solomon, Ono, Timmer, & Goodlin-Jones, 2008; Tonge et al., 2006; Whittingham, Sofronoff, Sheffield, & Sanders, 2009.) For example, Johnson, Smith, Handen and colleagues developed a parent training program that consists of 11 60-90 minute sessions which was found to reduce severe disruptive behavior and increase adaptive skills in a multicenter randomized control trial (RCT) (Aman et al., 2009; Bearss, Johnson, & Smith, 2015; Johnson et al., 2007). Other work by the authors suggest parent training is a feasible model to address sleep disturbances and feeding problems (Johnson et al., 2013; Johnson et al., 2018).
Presenter: Ryan Martin, Ph.D. – May Institute & National Autism Center
Co-author: CYnthia Anderson, Ph.D. – May Institute
Presenter: CYnthia Anderson, Ph.D. – May Institute
Presenter: Cynthia R. Johnson, Ph.D. – Cleveland Clinic & Case Western Reserve University
Presenter: Karen Bearss, Ph.D. – University of Washington, Seattle
Presenter: Kevin G. Stephenson, Ph.D. – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Co-author: Charles Albright, PhD – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Co-author: Barbara Mackinaw-Koons, PhD – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Co-author: Amy Hess, BS – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Co-author: Sabrina Long, LISW-S – Nationwide Children's Hospital
Co-author: Eric M. Butter, Ph.D. – Nationwide Childrens Hospital