A feasibility research was designed to see if a parent-administered evidence-based distance-learning intervention strategy for young children with a high risk of having ASD could be implemented with fidelity by Part C community providers and parents in low-resource regions. For a study, researchers used a community-academic partnership paradigm to create an evidence-based intervention assessed in the present pilot experiment, which enrolled 35 coaches and 34 parent-family dyads and was randomized by an agency in 4 states. Following the collection of baseline data, the experimental group received 12–15 hours of instruction, whereas the control group attended 6 webinars on early development. Providers worked with children and their families over 6 months, culminating in data collecting. The coach behaviors, parent faithfulness ratings, and child outcomes were modeled using regression analysis. To test the null model, a block design model-building approach was utilized, followed by the inclusion of the group as a predictor, and finally, the anticipated variables. Changes in R2 and F-statistics were used to assess model fit. Results showed significant improvements in (1) experimental provider fidelity of coaching implementation compared to the control group and (2) experimental parent fidelity of implementation compared to the control group, as predicted. On child developmental ratings, there were no significant variations between groups. Even though the experimental parent group spent less than 30 minutes per week with providers on average over the 6 months, both providers and parents showed statistically significant improvements in the fidelity of implementation scores with moderate effect sizes compared to control groups. Because child changes in parent-mediated models are dependent on the parents’ ability to deliver the intervention, and parent delivery is dependent on providers who coach the parents, these findings showed that the experimental implementation model positively affected 2 of the 3 links in the chain. However, the lack of significant variations in child group gains indicates that the model needs more development. The quantity of contact with the provider, the amount of practice children receive, the amount of time both providers and parents spend on training materials, and parental incentive tactics are just a few factors to consider.
Link:link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11689-021-09410-0
