A Longitudinal RCT of P-ESDM With and Without Parental Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: Impact on Child Outcomes.
Amy S Weitlauf, Neill Broderick, J Alacia Stainbrook and 14 others
PMID 35040001WHAT IT FOUND
Adding parental mindfulness training to early autism intervention did not improve child outcomes.
Children in both groups showed similar decreases in autism severity and skill development, regardless of whether parents received the extra support sessions.
Key findings
01There were no significant differences in child outcomes between the group receiving only P-ESDM and the group receiving P-ESDM plus parental MBSR.
02Across the whole sample, autism symptom severity decreased during the active treatment period but remained stable after treatment ended.
03The lack of differential child functioning based on parental MBSR participation does not mean the parent support was ineffective, as previous work showed it reduced parental distress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had high attrition rates, with 7 families withdrawing early and 8 lost to follow-up, reducing the final analyzed sample to 62. The sample was predominantly White and of moderate-to-high socioeconomic status, limiting generalizability. There was no treatment-as-usual control group, so it is difficult to separate the effects of the P-ESDM intervention from natural maturation. The study was not powered to detect small differences or effects on specific subgroups based on age or gender.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that supporting parents is ineffective because child outcomes did not differ. The study showed that while mindfulness did not change the child's trajectory, it previously demonstrated benefits for parental distress, which are separate from child symptom severity.