This study examined whether style or intensity of child-focused intervention had a secondary effect on parental sense of efficacy and whether these effects varied by baseline level of parent stress. We randomized 87 children with autism, age 13-30 months, into one of four conditions: 15 versus 25 intervention hours crossed with 12 months of Early…

The PLAY Project Home Consultation (PPHC) program trains parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders using the DIR/Floortime model of Stanley Greenspan MD. Sixty-eight children completed the 8-12 month program. Parents were encouraged to deliver 15 hours per week of 1:1 interaction. Pre/post ratings of videotapes by blind raters using the…

Part of a series on early childhood demonstration programs designed to improve early parent-child relationships, stimulate positive child development, and prevent later behavior difficulties, the pamphlet describes the Child Research Project at the University of North Carolina, in which parents were trained to act as cotherapists with their…

The study, involving 15 autistic children (2-7 years old) and their families investigated the short term effects of a treatment model in which parents are trained as co-therapists in teaching developmental skills and behavior management. Literature was reviewed on models for treatment of autism, studies of treatment efficacy with autism, and…