Previous studies on parenting adult children with ASD were scarce, and their intervention protocols mainly were derived from established work with children. Development of an applicable adult-oriented protocol and demonstration of its effectiveness is warranted. The present study outlined the development and evaluation of Core Autism Parenting Skills (CAPS), which targets to enhance parenting self-efficacy (PSE) intervention for adult children with ASD by addressing two intervention goals in parallel: acquisition of parenting skills and cultivating positive attributes. In CAPS, PSE is operationalised into four parent roles: to observe, reinforce, empathise, and accompany, each with requisite attributes, skills, and prescribed training. Twenty-seven parents with adult children with ASD (aged 16–37) were recruited. They completed measures assessing their PSE, competence in the four parent roles, and emotional well-being at pre-training, post-training and 2-month follow-up. The intervention was well-received by the participants and reported significant improvements in PSE, parent role competence at post-training and 2-month follow-up. The applicability of PSE and parent role competence in constructing effective parenting intervention for adult children with ASD was supported.

Background: Despite an emerging trend to separate individuals with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF; 70 < IQ ≤ 85) from their counterparts with average intellectual functioning (AIF; IQ > 85) or intellectual disability (ID; IQ ≤ 70), social competence training specific to them was lacking. The CBT-Context-Based Social Competence Training for ASD (CBT-CSCA) is a social competence intervention developed for Chinese individuals with ASD. Purpose: The current study reports a pilot evaluation of the adaption of the CBT-CSCA on adolescents and adults with ASD and BIF. Method: Twentyseven participants (aged 15 -29, FSIQ 70 -85) completed the 15-session intervention in a community centre. A pre-post intervention design was employed. Results: Participants showed satisfactory adherence and attendance rates. They reported satisfaction with knowledge acquisition and confidence in application. Parents reported significant improvements in social competence and general psychopathology across the pre-post intervention. Conclusion: The current study extends the application of the CBT-CSCA from individuals with AIF and ID to individuals with BIF. It illustrates a preliminary effort to provide targeted intervention for individuals with ASD and BIF as a distinct entity. The study calls for more research efforts, especially in validating outcome measures and developing interventions for individuals with ASD and BIF.