Studies of procedures for training parents to implement interventions for improving communication in children with ASD were eligible for inclusion. Studies were required to include at least one child with ASD and to measure parent knowledge or skill before and after training.
Most children in the included studies were diagnosed with autism. Where gender was reported, 43% of parents were mothers and 40% were fathers; nearly all children were boys. The children’s age ranged from nine months to 10 years and their communication ability ranged from no functional speech to short complete sentences. The studies included five different communication interventions, all with multiple components and many of which were similar. Interventions were taught by highly trained therapists in a university and/or home setting using verbal or written instruction, practice, role-playing, modelling and/or reviewing videos of the intervention in practice. Mean duration of parent training was 17 hours. Outcomes reported in the review were parent ability to implement the intervention, parent satisfaction and child communication (such as spontaneous vocalisation, imitation, attentiveness). Outcomes were measured post-training and in different settings and (in most cases) at longer term follow-up (one to 12 months later).
All four authors independently selected the studies. Disagreements were resolved by consensus.