BackgroundPoor eye contact and joint attention are early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and important prerequisites for developing other socio‐communicative skills. Teaching parents evidence‐based techniques to improve these skills can impact the overall functioning of children with ASD. We aimed to analyse the impact of conducting a group parent‐training intervention with video modelling to improve the intelligent quotient (IQ), social and communication functioning and to minimise symptoms in children with ASD and intellectual disability (ID).MethodsStudy design: A multicentre, single‐blinded, randomised clinical pilot trial of parent training using video modelling was conducted.Sample: Sixty‐seven parents of children with ASD, aged between 3 and 6 years and with IQs between 50 and 70, were randomised: 34 to the intervention group and 33 to the control group.Intervention program: The intervention group received parent training over 22 sessions, and the control group received the standard community treatment.Instruments: Pre‐evaluation and post‐evaluation (week 28), the following were used: Autism Diagnostic Interview, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale I, Snijders‐Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test, Autism Behaviour Checklist and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.Data Analysis: Intention to treat and complier‐average causal effect (CACE) were used to estimate the effects of the intervention.ResultsThere was a statistically significant improvement in the Vineland standardized communication scores in CACE (Cohen'sd = 0.260). There was a non‐statistically significant decrease in autism symptomatology (Autism Behaviour Checklist total scores) and a significant increase in the non‐verbal IQ in the intervention group. After the false discovery rate correction was applied, IQ remained statistically significant under both paradigms. The effect size for this adjusted outcome under the intention‐to‐treat paradigm was close to 0.4, and when considering adherence (CACE), the effect sizes were more robust (IQ's Cohen'sd = 0.433).ConclusionsParent training delivered by video modelling can be a useful technique for improving the care given to children with ASD and ID, particularly in countries that lack specialists.

Video modeling using applied behavior analysis techniques is one of the most promising and cost-effective ways to improve social skills for parents with autism spectrum disorder children. The main objectives were: (1) To elaborate/describe videos to improve eye contact and joint attention, and to decrease disruptive behaviors of autism spectrum disorder children, (2) to describe a low-cost parental training intervention, and (3) to assess participant's compliance. This is a descriptive study of a clinical trial for autism spectrum disorder children. The parental training intervention was delivered over 22 weeks based on video modeling. Parents with at least 8 years of schooling with an autism spectrum disorder child between 3 and 6 years old with an IQ lower than 70 were invited to participate. A total of 67 parents fulfilled the study criteria and were randomized into two groups: 34 as the intervention and 33 as controls. In all, 14 videos were recorded covering management of disruptive behaviors, prompting hierarchy, preference assessment, and acquisition of better eye contact and joint attention. Compliance varied as follows: good 32.4%, reasonable 38.2%, low 5.9%, and 23.5% with no compliance. Video modeling parental training seems a promising, feasible, and low-cost way to deliver care for children with autism spectrum disorder, particularly for populations with scarce treatment resources.

No abstract

 Este texto apresenta dois eixos de produção e disseminação de conhecimentos e boas práticas de base analítico-comportamental. A partir da retomada da experiência aca­dêmica das autoras são descritos os trabalhos referentes à formação de paraprofissionais e profissionais que estão iniciando o contato com a entrega de serviço baseada em análise do comportamento aplicada ao Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) e outras neurodivergên­cias; também é relatada a frente relacionada à pesquisa sobre capacitação parental multi­cêntrica voltada para o ensino de novas habilidades e manejos de padrões comportamentais desafiadores relacionados a aspectos centrais no TEA. São discutidos aspectos de impacto social dessas atuações na formação de profissionais e na vida cotidiana de indivíduos com neurodivergências e seus familiares, que acabam por experimentar uma melhor qualidade de vida. A reflexão sobre os desdobramentos relativos à escolha de base científica para impacto social, como norte para a modelagem e remodelagem das práticas, é o mote principal e trans­versal nesta produção textual.