Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Referred Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The trial was underpowered because only 97 of the planned 118 participants were included. The blended condition had very high early dropout, so the effect of completing that format could not be tested. Outcomes were parent-reported and not masked, so expectations may have influenced ratings. The sample had relatively high IQ, relatively mild disruptive behaviors, and high parental education, so results may not apply to children with lower IQ or more severe problems. Face-to-face and blended training were not compared with each other. There was no 6-month follow-up in the waitlist condition, so long-term effects cannot be compared with no treatment. The age effect in the primary outcome was sensitive to outliers.

Do not treat the blended format as effective. It combined online modules with face-to-face contacts, but did not improve noncompliance more than waitlist, and 54.5% of parents dropped out in the first phase.