Parent Training in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What's in a Name?

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2015 Jun;18(2):170-82. doi: 10.1007/s10567-015-0179-5.

Abstract

Parent training (PT) is well understood as an evidence-based treatment for typically developing children with disruptive behavior. Within the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the term parent training has been used to describe a wide range of interventions including care coordination, psychoeducation, treatments for language or social development, as well as programs designed to address maladaptive behaviors. As a result, the meaning of "parent training" in ASD is profoundly uncertain. This paper describes the need to delineate the variants of PT in ASD and offers a coherent taxonomy. Uniform characterization of PT programs can facilitate communication with families, professionals, administrators, and third-party payers. Moreover, it may also serve as a framework for comparing and contrasting PT programs. In support of the taxonomy, a purposive sampling of the literature is presented to illustrate the range of parent training interventions in ASD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / therapy*
  • Behavior Therapy / education
  • Behavior Therapy / methods*
  • Child
  • Communication
  • Humans
  • Parents / education*
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Problem Behavior
  • Social Skills
  • Terminology as Topic