E-coaching for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Developmental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges in pediatric care, impacting children's development.
• Early parent-mediated interventions (PMIs) enhance social communication but face accessibility barriers.
• Technology-based solutions are being explored to overcome limitations in delivering autism interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an innovative e-coaching program for parents of preschool children with ASD.
• To compare the e-coaching program against standard therapy and no intervention, alongside usual community support.
• To assess the impact of the intervention on parent-child interaction quality, child development, and parental well-being.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 99 families with preschool children diagnosed with ASD.
• Utilizing an e-coaching program delivering strategies via an online platform with personalized debriefings.
• Measuring the primary outcome of parent-child interaction quality using behavioral assessments and eye-tracking during play sessions.

Main Results:

• The study is designed to assess the primary outcome of parent-child interaction quality.
• Secondary outcomes include evaluating the child's developmental level and parental well-being.
• The trial compares an e-coaching intervention against standard care and a control group.

Conclusions:

• The e-coaching program has the potential to increase access to effective autism interventions for families.
• Successful validation could lead to wider dissemination, improving the quality of life for families affected by ASD.
• This approach may offer a scalable solution to address the logistical challenges of traditional parent-mediated interventions.