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Quantifying Caregiver Change Across Early Autism Interventions Using the Measure of NDBI Strategy Implementation: Caregiver Change (MONSI-CC)

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Abstract

This study aimed to provide initial validity and reliability of the Measure of NDBI Strategy Implementation-Caregiver Change (MONSI-CC), a novel measure that captures changes in caregivers’ implementation of NDBI strategies during early intervention. The MONSI-CC was applied to 119 observations of 43 caregiver-child dyads of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The MONSI-CC showed high inter-rater and test–retest reliability and captured significant improvements in caregivers’ implementation of NDBI strategies. Significant associations between improvements in caregiver NDBI implementation and improvements in the child’s ASD symptoms also emerged. Our work shows promising evidence for the utility of the MONSI-CC to evaluate implementation of NDBI strategies by caregivers as a mediating and moderating factor for treatment effects on children with ASD.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by a grant awarded to author S.H.K National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; 1R01MH114925-01). Work for this project was also supported by Grants awarded to author C.L. from NIMH (RO1MH081757, 1RC1MH089721, R01RFAMH14100, R01MH078165), Autism Speaks (5766), and Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA; UA3MC11055). The views expressed in this work are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIMH, Autism Speaks or HRSA. The authors would like to thank Nurit Benrey-Grinberg and Hannah Thomas for their data coding. The authors would also like to thank Connie Kasari, Sally Rogers, and Amy Wetherby for the data and support of this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Bethany A. Vibert

  2. University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Sarah Dufek

  3. Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 21 Bloomingdale Rd, White Plains, NY, USA

    Claire B. Klein, Jamie Winter & So Hyun Kim

  4. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA

    Yeo Bi Choi

  5. Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Catherine Lord

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  1. Bethany A. Vibert
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  7. So Hyun Kim
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Contributions

BV participated in the design of the study, statistical analysis, interpretation of data, and drafted the manuscript; SD conceived of the study, participated in the design of study, interpretation of the data and manuscript preparation; CK helped to draft the manuscript and performed the statistical analysis; YB helped to draft the manuscript and performed the statistical analysis; JW participated in the design of the study, and helped to draft the manuscript; CL conceived of the study, assisted in interpretation of the data, statistical analysis, and helped to draft the manuscript; SK conceived of the study; participated the design of the study, interpretation of data, statistical analysis, and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to So Hyun Kim.

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Conflict of interest

C.L. receives royalties from the sale of the ADI-R and the ADOS-2. All royalties related to the research were donated to a non-profit organization. No other authors have conflicts of interest regarding this study.

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Vibert, B.A., Dufek, S., Klein, C.B. et al. Quantifying Caregiver Change Across Early Autism Interventions Using the Measure of NDBI Strategy Implementation: Caregiver Change (MONSI-CC). J Autism Dev Disord 50, 1364–1379 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04342-0

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