Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Cheryl McNeil
Committee Co-Chair
Michelle Roley-Roberts
Committee Member
Kathryn Kestner
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with various symptoms that interfere with functioning requiring intensive early intervention; however, many families experience barriers to accessing behavioral services due to provider shortages, cost of treatment, and lack of transportation. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has demonstrated effectiveness as a supplemental treatment for disruptive behaviors in children on the autism spectrum. The current study aims to determine the efficacy of a 2-day group telehealth parent-only workshop based on PCIT for improving caregivers’ use of positive parenting skills, child disruptive behavior, compliance to caregiver commands, and child psychosocial functioning. Thirty-three caregivers and their autistic children aged 2 to 7 years with co-occurring disruptive behaviors were assigned to PCIT-based workshop or waitlist control groups. Within-between subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests determined that participants in the PCIT-based workshop groups demonstrated greater improvement in positive parenting skills from pre-treatment to post-treatment than waitlist control group families. There were no immediate improvements observed in negative parenting skills, child behavior, or child psychosocial functioning. Participants reported moderately high perceptions of treatment efficacy and satisfaction with the intervention. Findings from this study contribute to the growing body of literature evaluating PCIT for families of autistic children and may aid in the development of alternative formats of treatment to increase access to behavioral services. Limitations of the study and future directions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Victory, Erinn J., "A Randomized Controlled Trial of Group Telehealth Workshops based on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2024). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12318.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12318