Project Description:
Previous research indicates that Reciprocal Imitation Training is an effective strategy for improving imitation, play skills, and joint attention skills in young children with ASD (e.g., Ingersoll, 2008). RIT has been shown to be effective when implemented by trained therapists (Ingersoll, 2010; Ingersoll & Schreibman, 2006). Teaching parents (Ingersoll & Gergans, 2007) and siblings (Walton & Ingersoll, 2012) to deliver RIT in the home setting has also led to gains in imitation and quality of play. However, it is unclear to what extent teaching parents to use RIT strategies in the home improves child and parent outcomes, compared to therapist-delivered RIT alone. The purpose of this study is to examine whether adding a parent education component to an existing intervention (Reciprocal Imitation Training) results in improved outcomes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) is a behavioral intervention designed to improve spontaneous imitation skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Previous research suggests that it can be effective when used by trained therapists, teachers, siblings, and parents of children with ASD. However, it is unclear to what extent training parents to use RIT strategies in the home environment may enhance outcomes, compared to having therapists implement RIT individually with the child. The study will compare two different versions of RIT for young children with ASD: (1) two 60-minute weekly sessions of therapist-implemented RIT and (2) one weekly 60-minute session of therapist-implemented RIT and one weekly 60-minute session of parent education about using RIT in the home environment. We will examine child and family outcomes between these two intervention types. Outcomes examined will include: (1) spontaneous and prompted imitation skills in the child with ASD, (2) social communication skills in the child with ASD, (3) parent stress, and (4) parent and child behaviors during parent-child play interactions. It is anticipated that children with ASD who participate in this study may directly benefit by improving their imitation skills and other social communication skills (e.g., play, social engagement). Parents may also benefit from increasing their ability to teach new social communication skills to their child, which could increase parents' sense of competence and decrease stress. Valuable knowledge about the relative effectiveness of different treatment delivery strategies for children with ASD (direct therapy versus parent training) may be gained during this study. This knowledge may help future treatment providers select appropriate strategies for working with children with ASD and their families.
