Parent perceptions of an adapted evidence-based practice for toddlers with autism in a community setting.
Aubyn C Stahmer, Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Sarah R Rieth and 4 others
PMID 27121242WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of toddlers at risk for autism learned Project ImPACT strategies from community therapists and reported high satisfaction.
Their use of the strategies improved after 12 weeks. The study cannot show whether children improved.
Key findings
01Observed parent use of Project ImPACT strategies improved from baseline to 12 weeks, with 20% meeting overall fidelity at baseline and 90% after training.
02Parents reported high overall satisfaction, averaging 6.46 out of 7, and said therapist modeling, practice, and feedback were especially helpful.
03Parents' most critical comments concerned homework and finding time to practice the strategies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 13 families enrolled and 11 completed, so findings are preliminary and may not apply to other populations. Families were recruited from community programs after referral and agreed to participate voluntarily, so they may have been more ready to seek services than families who did not participate. The providers had master's degrees and averaged 7.4 years of experience with infants and toddlers, and their agencies had selected Project ImPACT, so they may not represent typical community providers. The main objective measure was parent fidelity, not child communication outcomes. Fidelity coders were blind to time in treatment, but ongoing reliability data for parent videos were not available. The study is a pilot feasibility report, so it cannot establish effectiveness.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that Project ImPACT improves child outcomes. It was a small pilot, and the objective change measured was parents' use of strategies, not children's communication.