EMT en Español Para Autismo: A Collaborative Communication Intervention Approach and Single Case Design Pilot Study.
Natalie S Pak, Tatiana Nogueira Peredo, Ana Paula Madero Ucero and 1 others
PMID 38613594WHAT IT FOUND
Two Spanish-speaking caregivers learned to coach their autistic toddlers using a home-based intervention.
Both used the strategies more often after training. The children communicated more, though gains depended heavily on speech-generating devices and could not be separated from other supports.
Key findings
01Both caregivers increased their use of target language modeling strategies significantly after training, with one caregiver showing a 883% increase and the other a 250% increase over baseline.
02Both children increased the total number of words and different words they used during sessions, although nearly all words were communicated via the speech-generating device rather than speech alone.
03Caregivers reported using the strategies daily during play and routines, but one caregiver rated the strategy of reducing instructions and questions as ineffective and inappropriate for her child.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only two completing participants, making it impossible to generalize the findings. The intervention combined caregiver coaching, therapist-delivered intervention, and high-tech AAC. The contribution of any single component to the child's communication gains cannot be separated. Two of four enrolled families dropped out due to the burden of intensive sessions and scheduling. Child communication outcomes could not be attributed solely to caregiver strategy use because the therapist also delivered intervention during the study. Follow-up data for one child were confounded by a broken speech-generating device.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the caregiver coaching alone caused the children's communication gains. The children also received direct therapy from the interventionist and were given iPads with speech-generating apps. The study cannot show which of these three elements was responsible for the improvements.