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Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Presently there is limited research to suggest efficacious interventions for infants at-risk for autism. Pivotal response treatment (PRT) has empirical support for use with preschool children with autism, but there are no reports in the literature utilizing this approach with infants. In the current study, a developmental adaptation of PRT was piloted via a brief parent training model with three infants at-risk for autism. Utilizing a multiple baseline design, the data suggest that the introduction of PRT resulted in increases in the infants’ frequency of functional communication and parents’ fidelity of implementation of PRT procedures. Results provide preliminary support for the feasibility and utility of PRT for very young children at-risk for autism.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by Award Number R01 MH087554 from the National Institute of Mental Health (PI: K. Chawarska) and P01 HD03008, Project 1 (PI: K. Chawarska) from the National Institute of Child Health and Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health and Development, or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, 40 Temple Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Amanda Mossman Steiner & Katarzyna Chawarska

  2. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Grace W. Gengoux

  3. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ami Klin

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  1. Amanda Mossman Steiner
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  2. Grace W. Gengoux
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  3. Ami Klin
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  4. Katarzyna Chawarska
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Correspondence to Amanda Mossman Steiner.

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Table 6 Outline of topics covered in parent education sessions
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Steiner, A.M., Gengoux, G.W., Klin, A. et al. Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 91–102 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1542-8

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