ABCS oF AUTiSm

Supporting Families of Young Children in Utah with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis

Gina A. Cook & Gina Pola-Money, Utah State University, Utah Family Voices
PUrPoSe: To provide parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their professional partners in rural and other Utah communities the information, resources and support they need in understanding and caring for a child with ASD. NeeD: The increased number of children diagnosed with ASD each year means the need for enhanced parent training is growing rapidly. All parents of children with ASD need information and training. education for parents of children recently diagnosed with ASD is available sporadically in urban areas but is rare in rural areas. This training provides parents with information from autism experts in Utah; tools to understand and manage their childs behaviors; and a local support system.

Target Audience: Parents of children with ASD 420 parents attended Professionals working with families with children with ASD 72 professionals attended Curriculum: Module 1a: Building Resilience: Helping Your Family Heal Following a Diagnosis of ASD Module 1b: Autism: The Wise Consumer Module 2: ABCs of Autism: Parent Training Behavior Module 3a: Autism: An Introduction and Discussion Module 3b: Baby Watch Module 3c: Preschool Education Services Parent Module Module 4a: Communication Issues Module 4b: Sensory Integration and the Child with Autism Module 5a: Autism: Interventions Module 5b: Autism: SCERTS Model Module 5c: Autism: CAM Module 6a: Organization & Resources Module 6b: Finding Resources Module 6c: Parent Panel Curriculm Design: Trainings were designed to be delivered once a week across 6 weeks, but could also be split in order to be provided across 12 trainings. Each training included a mixture of lecture, video, activities, and discussion periods. Trainers were provided with video clips of experts in the field along with a training manual with additional information on each topic. Curriculum was designed to be interactive and flexible in order to provide parents the information they want and need.

106 parents completed a satisfaction survey Child Gender 71% male 29% female Ethnicity 47% Caucasian 50% Latino 2% Black 1% Other Parent Ages ranged from (22 -67 years) Fathers average age was 39 years Mothers average age was 36 years Child Age ranged from (2.5 to 17 years) Child average age was 8.5 years Parent Marital Status 78% Married 7% Divorced 6% Single 9% Widowed

Parent Comments What did you like? Informative and helpful. I liked hearing other parents input. I liked the variety of information and resources presented. I liked being able to ask questions What was most helpful? The chance to meet other parents. Information about alternative treatments. The videos New and updated information. The discussions/activities What would you add or change? A question and answer period at the end. More time to network with parents. More information on Aspergers. More detail on behavior and learning techniques. More time. More breaks. More Videos. Response Of the 15 satisfaction rating items parents reported on average that they were either very satisfied or satisfied on all but 3 items. On these items the average score was still high and in the strongly agree category but several of the 106 parents reported that they disagree or strongly disagree on these items. The items are: the trainings offered an opportunity for me to share my experiences; the trainings were tailored to meet my learning style (the way I learn best); and the trainings were delivered at a comfortable pace so I could understand the content. Training Limitations/Barriers Parents had difficulty finding childcare so that they could attend the trainings. Trainers were not available in some parts of the state. Weekly trainings were not economical in some very rural areas and were adapted into 1 to 2 day 6-hour trainings. Parents wanted more of everything. Training Successes 29 trainings were conducted across the state in 1 year Trainings were well-received Parents appreciated the information they received and the ability to ask questions. Parents commented that meeting other families that are going through the same thing was helpful.

Satisfaction Rating items(1 to 5 Scale, 5 = Strongly Agree) 1. The presentations were clear, understandable, and helpful (4.83). 2. The training helped me better understand what Autism is (4.75). 3. The trainers were knowledgeable (4.89). 4. The trainings were interesting (4.82). 5. The trainings provided me an opportunity to meet other parents with similar experiences (4.83). 6. The trainings offered an opportunity for me to share my experiences (4.69). 7. The trainings were tailored to meet my learning style (the way I learn best) (4.66). 8. The trainings have been worthwhile (4.87). 9. The trainings gave me a chance to have my questions answered (4.71). 10. The trainings were delivered at a comfortable pace so I could understand the content (4.66). 11. The trainings provided information I need to help my child (4.84). 12. The trainings helped me develop skills in interacting with my child (4.75). 13. The trainings were offered at a time that made it easy for me to attend (4.75). 14. The format of the trainings was appropriate (4.85). 15. I would recommend this training to others (4.91).