Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Case Study of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Adaptations for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Early Childhood

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Abstract

Children with ASD commonly exhibit disruptive behaviors, which are often the primary referral concern for treatment. Although PCIT was originally developed for typically developing children with externalizing behaviors, several studies have demonstrated its success in reducing behavioral problems in more specialized populations, including children with ASD. This chapter describes a clinical case study conducted with a 3-year-old female diagnosed with ASD. This case study illustrates that PCIT can be a successful treatment for children with ASD and other comorbid conditions. The chapter will describe the case in detail, while dedicating special attention to the considerations and adaptations used when working with the child and family. The section will conclude by highlighting future directions for practice and research when using PCIT for children with ASD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 429.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 549.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington, VT: Research Center for Children, Youth & Families, University of Vermont.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agazzi, H., Tan, R., & Tan, S. Y. (2013). A case study of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 428–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agazzi, H., Tan, S. Y., Ogg, J., Armstrong, K., & Kirby, R. (2017). Does Parent-Child Interaction Therapy reduce maternal stress, anxiety and depression among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder? Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 39(4), 283–303. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317107.2017.1375622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, K., DeLoatche, K. J., Preece, K. K., & Agazzi, H. (2015). Combining Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and visual supports for the treatment of challenging behavior in a child with autism and intellectual disabilities and comorbid epilepsy. Clinical Case Studies, 14(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534650114531451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, K., & Kimonis, E. R. (2013). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for the treatment of Asperger’s disorder in early childhood: A case study. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 60–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergan, J. R., & Kratochwill, T. R. (1990). Behavioral consultation and therapy. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brookman-Frazee, L. I., Drahota, A., & Stadnick, N. (2012). Training community mental health therapists to deliver a package of evidence-based practice strategies for school-age children with autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(8), 1651–1661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1406-7

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Eyberg, S. M., Boggs, S. R., & Algina, J. (1995). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Psychosocial model for the treatment of young children with conduct problem behavior and their families. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 31(1), 83–91.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eyberg, S. M., Ginn, N. C., Bhuiyan, N., & Boggs, S. (2014). Manual for the dyadic parent-child interaction coding system (4th ed.). Gainesville, FL: PCIT International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyberg, S. M., & Pincus, D. (1999). Eyberg child behavior inventory and Sutter-Eyberg student behavior inventory-revised professional manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatamzadeh, A., Pouretemad, H., & Hassanabadi, H. (2010). The effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for children with high functioning autism. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 994–997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesack, R., Bearss, K., Celano, M., & Sharp, W. (2014). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and autism spectrum disorder: Adaptations with a child with severe developmental delays. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 2(1), 68–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P., Risi, S., Gotham, K., & Bishop, S. (2012). Autism diagnostic observation schedule (2nd ed.). Torrance, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masse, J. J., McNeil, C. B., Wagner, M., & Chorney, D. B. (2007). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and high functioning autism: A conceptual overview. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 4, 714–735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masse, J. J., McNeil, C. B., Wagner, S., & Quetsch, L. B. (2016). Examining the efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(8), 2508–2525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0424-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNeil, C. B., Eyberg, S. M., Eisenstadt, T. H., Newcomb, K., & Funderburk, B. (1991). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with behavior problem children - generalization of treatment effects to the school setting. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 20(2), 140–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newborg, J. (2005). Battelle Developmental Inventory—Second edition. Itasca, IL: Riverside.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., … Wise, M. S. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: A consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schopler, E., Van Bourgondien, M. E., Wellman, G. J., & Love, S. R. (2010). Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second edition. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, M., Ono, M., Timmer, S., & Goodlin-Jones, B. (2008). The effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for families of children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1767–1776. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0567-5

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., & Balla, D. A. (2005). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: Second edition (Vineland II). Livonia, MN: Pearson Assessments.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). Implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10(2), 349–367. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1977.10-349

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2002). Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Third edition. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, I. L., Steiner, V. G., & Pond, R. E. (2011). Preschool language scales—Fifth edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA

    Heather Agazzi, Sim Yin Tan, Kimberly Knap & Kathleen Armstrong

Authors
  1. Heather Agazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sim Yin Tan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kimberly Knap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kathleen Armstrong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather Agazzi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Cheryl Bodiford McNeil

  2. Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Lauren Borduin Quetsch

  3. National Autism Center, May Institute, Randolph, MA, USA

    Cynthia M. Anderson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Agazzi, H., Tan, S.Y., Knap, K., Armstrong, K. (2018). A Case Study of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Adaptations for the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Early Childhood. In: McNeil, C., Quetsch, L., Anderson, C. (eds) Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03213-5_35

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation