Practitioner Adherence and Competence in MEYA, a Free Online Self-Instruction Program in Modular Psychotherapy and Counseling for Children's Autism-Related Clinical Needs.
Jeffrey J Wood, Karen S Wood, Kashia A Rosenau and 9 others
PMID 38277075WHAT IT FOUND
Seven therapists using a free online training tool increased how well they followed evidence-based steps for autistic children.
Most found the tool acceptable and reported some improvement in child goals, but the study was too small to prove the training works.
Key findings
01Five of the seven practitioners improved their adherence to the evidence-based techniques after starting the online training.
02Practitioners rated the training as acceptable and feasible, with most responses indicating agreement.
03Parents reported reductions in their children's problem severity ratings for most participants, though the number of sessions varied.
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 seven practitioners, making the results preliminary and unable to determine if the training causes improvement. There was no control group of therapists who did not use the tool, so natural changes over time cannot be ruled out. The sample was not diverse, consisting mostly of Caucasian therapists, limiting how well the results apply to other settings. Some therapists struggled with the video-recording requirement, and three dropped out before starting because they could not find eligible clients. The number of sessions varied between participants, which makes it difficult to compare child outcomes directly.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Defense. No other conflicts of interest are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this online training will improve your clinical outcomes or your clients' progress. The study was very small, lacked a control group, and measured therapist behavior rather than proving the tool's effectiveness for children.