Development and Acceptability of a New Program for Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Online Parent Training in Early Behavioral Intervention.
Yael G Dai, Rebecca P Thomas, Lynn Brennan and 4 others
PMID 33527164WHAT IT FOUND
Parents rated a new online autism training program as clear and helpful, but 37% dropped out.
Dropouts were often lower-income or had older children. The program worked for those who stayed, but time and practical barriers stopped many from finishing.
Key findings
0137% of parents assigned to the online training program did not complete the study.
02Parents who completed the program rated it highly for clarity and acceptability (mean 4.70 on a 5-point scale).
03Parents who dropped out were more likely to have older children and lower household incomes than those who completed the program.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had a high attrition rate (37%), which limits the generalizability of the acceptability findings to the broader population of families with children with ASD. Attrition was not random: parents who dropped out had older children and lower incomes, suggesting the program may be less feasible for these groups. Although the program is designed to be self-directed, most participants had access to weekly support calls, which may have improved engagement and acceptability compared to a purely self-directed model. Time spent on the program was self-reported, which may be inaccurate. The study did not measure clinical outcomes (e.g., child language or social gains); it only assessed acceptability and engagement. The sample was relatively small (35 parents in the intervention group).
Declared interests
All authors declared that they have no conflict of interest. The study was funded by the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high ratings from completers as evidence that the program is universally acceptable or effective. The 37% dropout rate, particularly among lower-income families and those with older children, indicates significant barriers to completion. Furthermore, this study only assessed acceptability, not whether the program actually improved child outcomes.