Initial Development of the Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Parental Self-Efficacy Scale: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is effective for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Parental challenges in implementing EIBI can hinder treatment effectiveness.
• Providers need tools to identify specific parental difficulties in EIBI delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new instrument, the EIBI Parental Self-Efficacy (EPSE) Scale.
• To assist EIBI providers in assessing and supporting parents during intervention.
• To address the need for individualized parental support in EIBI.

Main Methods:

• A four-phase development process: scale construction, expert review, pretest, and a pilot study.
• Pilot study involved 192 participants.
• Factor analysis was used to establish scale structure.

Main Results:

• The final 29-item EPSE Scale demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .900).
• Factor analysis identified five subscales: Family Well-Being, Preparing for Successful Sessions, Team Participation, Not Giving Up, and Working with your Child.
• The scale shows potential as a clinical tool.

Conclusions:

• The EPSE Scale is a reliable instrument for assessing parental self-efficacy in EIBI.
• The identified subscales offer targeted areas for parental support.
• Further research is recommended for validation and refinement as a clinical tool for EIBI providers.