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Using Web-Based Instruction, Brief Workshops, and Remote Consultation to Teach Community-Based Providers a Parent-Mediated Intervention

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Abstract

Parent-mediated interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are highly under-utilized in community settings. A challenge to the dissemination of these programs is that provider training protocols must teach both the intervention techniques, and the parent coaching strategies. The current study assesses the feasibility an innovative multimodal training protocol to teach community-based intervention providers Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers). A total of 30 providers (90% female; 76% Caucasian, 13.3% Multiracial/Other, 3.3% Hispanic/Latino, and 3.3% Asian/Pacific Islander) participated in Phase 1, and 15 of these participants (80% female; 60% Caucasian, 33.3% multiracial, and 6.6% Hispanic/Latino) participated in Phase 2. In Phase 1, providers completed questionnaires and videotaped interactions before and after a web-based tutorial and interactive workshop focused on intervention techniques. In Phase 2, providers completed questionnaires and videotaped interactions before and after a second interactive workshop focused on parent coaching. Results from Phase 1 indicate that the addition of the workshop resulted in higher ratings of training satisfaction (p < .01), training adequacy (p < .01), and self-efficacy (p < .01) of the intervention techniques. Results from Phase 2 indicate the addition of the second workshop resulted in greater training adequacy of the parent coaching strategies, p < .01. These results suggest that use of this training protocol is a feasible way to increase access to high quality training in evidence-based intervention for providers working with children with ASD in the community; however, larger scale community-based trials of the training protocol are an important next step.

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Author Contributions

A.L.W. designed the study, conducted data analysis, and led manuscript writing and preparation. K.P. executed the study, supervised data collection, and assisted with manuscript writing and preparation. B.R.I. collaborated with the design of the study and assisted with manuscript writing and preparation.

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Correspondence to Allison L. Wainer.

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This research adhered to basic ethical considerations for the protection of human participants in research and was overseen by the Michigan State University’s Institutional Review Board.

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In adherence with ethical standards, as overseen by Michigan State University’s IRB, all participants completed informed consent prior to enrolling in the present research study.

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Wainer, A.L., Pickard, K. & Ingersoll, B.R. Using Web-Based Instruction, Brief Workshops, and Remote Consultation to Teach Community-Based Providers a Parent-Mediated Intervention. J Child Fam Stud 26, 1592–1602 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0671-2

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