Detecting change in a caregiver-mediated autism intervention using the Joint Engagement Rating Inventory

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Speech and Language Therapy

Background:

• The Joint Engagement Rating Inventory (JERI) is used to measure response to early autism intervention.
• Its utility outside the United States is not well-established.
• Previous South African research confirmed JERI's reliability for joint engagement and communication in autistic children and caregivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if the JERI can detect changes in child and caregiver behaviors.
• To assess the JERI's effectiveness following a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention-informed caregiver coaching program.

Main Methods:

• A single-arm, pre-post study design was employed.
• Video-recorded caregiver-child interactions were assessed before and after intervention.
• Two blinded raters coded JERI items, with data analyzed for inter-rater reliability and significant changes.

Main Results:

• Moderate to strong inter-rater agreement was found for most JERI items.
• Significant improvements were detected in symbol-infused joint engagement and expressive language.
• Change signals were observed in 15 out of 16 JERI ratings.

Conclusions:

• The JERI demonstrates potential as an outcome measure for caregiver-mediated early autism interventions.
• This study is the first to validate the JERI's utility in an African context for autism intervention research.