Attrition in higher education is an issue that continues to plague students and institutions alike. The attrition of second-generation millennial college students is important due to their unique generational circumstances and positioning in society. However, there is little known about the experiences of college-educated parents when their…

A child's early language environment, and their parents' active engagement during parent-child interactions play a vital role in facilitating the development of complex social reinforcers and the growth of their verbal behavior. Using a verbal behavioral approach, this study aimed to measure the statistical significance of changes in the quality…

Social skills deficits are common for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research indicates there is a need to continue to find ways to support parents in enhancing social skills acquisition in their children with ASD. The present study evaluated the effects of using behavioral skills training (BST), delivered via mobile…

This dissertation in practice (DiP) seeks to influence two main issues, first parents have a limited knowledge about play and second play is on the decline in homes and schools. It has been suggested that parental beliefs, education, and income levels have some influence on a parents' ability to engage in purposeful play (Ivrendi & Isikoglu,…

Objective: Individuals with autism who are minimally speaking often rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Communication partner training is an integral element of AAC intervention, and parents are ideal communication partners for supporting their child's language development skills. Asynchronous, online trainings may offer…

Parenting programs aim to improve parenting quality such as reducing harsh parenting which may, in turn, support the child's development and behavior. However, parenting interventions show considerable heterogeneity in response patterns across different families, demonstrating that they are not one-size-fits-all programs. However, there is a lack…

Asian population is proportionally the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States and Asian parents often hold different opinions on family functioning and childrearing. However, there has been no research conducted to examine how to best train parents from Asian immigrant backgrounds to teach manding to their children with autism at home.…

Parent-Child Reading Program (PRP) was an intervention program designed by Ms. Dai, who was a Chinese teacher at Future School in China, to promote reading literacy among elementary students. Program participants included the teacher in the PRP (Ms. Dai) and the parents of students who participated in the program. The goal of this program was to…

Children with disabilities often engage in less complex play and fewer spontaneous pretend play behaviors. Research has highlighted the value of providing caregivers with sustained support to promote their active involvement in the learning of their children with disabilities. Caregivers; however, are rarely offered opportunities to facilitate…

Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are likely to sit on lengthy waitlists for applied behavior analytic (ABA) services, especially when living in rural areas. Early intervention is critical for desired outcomes for young children with ASD. Telehealth caregiver training in ABA skills is one avenue to begin intervention while…

Prevent, Teach, and Reinforce for Families (PTR-F) has been found effective in increasing parents' use of positive behavior support (PBS)-based strategies and decreasing children's challenging behavior. However, only few studies have purposefully explored the effectiveness of PTR-F for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families. To…

With the prevalence of autism continually on the rise, more Autistic people will enter the work force. Research and employment data demonstrate Autistic individuals have a difficult time securing and maintaining employment. One of the issues Autistic people face is a lack of effective and efficient vocational training. Although Autistic students…

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in American children has increased over the past decade, many local and state agencies are seeking avenues to become more efficient in the type of training services they offer. One such training is referred as Autism Parent Training (APT). The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship…

Early intervention is not officially implemented in Thailand. The shortage of practitioners, the inaccessibility of early intervention services, and the lack of parental involvement extremely deprive opportunities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing to develop language and communication within the critical period. This dissertation aimed…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties with social communication skills that negatively impacts quality of life. Training parents to implement effective interventions that improve the social communication skills of children with ASD may facilitate parent-child interaction and ameliorate the impact of social…