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Newswise LAWRENCE In 2004 University of Kansas researchers Linda Heitzman-Powell and Jay Buzhardt had the bold idea of training parents of children with autism to use an intervention based on the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help them increase their childrens independent skills and reduce problem behaviors.
Whats more, the training would be rigorous, and it would be long-distance: coaching via live interactive television along with online educational modules covering the concepts and principles of behavioral intervention. The highly effective treatment for children with autism is endorsed by the American Academy of Family Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. surgeon general.
Autism spectrum disorders, now estimated to affect one in 68 children, are just as common in rural America, said Heitzman-Powell, research assistant professor, but ABA-trained professionals are rare.
While involving parents in training is critical, according to the National Research Council, little is known about how to make training resources available to families in remote areas or with limited capacity to travel to facilities for one-on-one practice and coaching, said Heitzman-Powell, a licensed psychologist and a board-certified behavior analyst.
Now, the researchers have published the results of their initial study of the feasibility of training parents through their Online and Applied System for Intervention Skills (OASIS) in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.
Parents increased their knowledge of ABA strategies and concepts by an average of 39 percentage points and improved their implementation of these strategies with their children by an average of 41 percentage points, said Buzhardt, associate research professor who employs technology to help make evidence-based practices accessible to rural and underserved populations.
Whats more, the initial OASIS project saved the four families participating in the study more than 9,000 driving miles compared to the miles they would have driven to a regional medical center in Kansas City area.
Since the first small feasibility study, an evaluation of OASIS with close to 40 families across Kansas showed that parents learned and retained skills as precise as collecting and analyzing data and how to use it for making decisions.
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Researchers Pioneer Telemedicine Training for Rural Parents of Children with Autism