Abstract
Parent training programs focus on parent knowledge and/or skill development regarding strategies to improve child outcomes. Parent training programs are considered evidenced-based treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet little is known about parent training use for youth with ASD served in community settings. This mixed methods project examined parent training for Medicaid-enrolled youth with ASD under age 21. Data were obtained from Medicaid claims for 879 youth and surveys from 97 applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers. Open-ended survey items were analyzed with content analysis. Results demonstrated that the frequency of parent training was low and providers’ conceptualization of parent training was inconsistent with evidence-based models. Providers are largely unaware of evidence-based components (i.e., modeling, caregiver practice with feedback) and use them infrequently. Implications for increasing parent training in community settings are discussed.
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Notes
Because the literature on parent training typically utilizes the term “parent” to refer to all types of caregivers, the term “parent” has been used herein for consistency, with recognition that this term is being used to refer to any biological, legal, familial or non-familial primary caregiver.
“Family training” is the term used in the community mental health system.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation Student Award Program (003701.SAP). We would like to thank the providers who participated in this study and our community partners at Mid-State Health Network who made data collection possible.
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Straiton, D., Groom, B. & Ingersoll, B. Parent Training for Youth with Autism Served in Community Settings: A Mixed-Methods Investigation Within a Community Mental Health System. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 1983–1994 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04679-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04679-x