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Lessons Learned from the Application of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Abstract

Given the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children and its high rate of comorbid disruptive behavior symptoms, there has been a surging demand for evidence-based behavioral interventions with this population. While applied behavioral analysis (ABA) has been the first-line treatment for ASD, other behavioral interventions such as parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) have gained clinical and research interest due to its promising findings and emphasis on parent involvement. This chapter describes the rationale for the application of PCIT to address challenging behaviors in children with ASD utilizing our clinical experiences and case study research conducted in a university-based PCIT clinic. The chapter also presents the clinical challenges we have encountered and treatment adaptations we have used to meet the unique needs of children with ASD and their families. Through various case examples, we discuss lessons learned, clinical considerations, and recommendations in hopes to further promote research and implementation of PCIT with children with ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

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

Authors
  1. Heather Agazzi
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  2. Kimberly Knap
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  3. Sim Yin Tan
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  4. Kathleen Armstrong
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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

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Agazzi, H., Knap, K., Tan, S.Y., Armstrong, K. (2018). Lessons Learned from the Application of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 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_28

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