I-PCIT Engagement and Outcomes in Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based behavioral parent training program that has shown efficacy in reducing disruptive behaviors for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and developmental delays. The current study examined the impact of child and parent characteristics on (a) treatment completion and engagement (b) child behavioral outcomes, and (c) parenting outcomes. Participants included 68 parent-child dyads (children aged 2-6) with NDD diagnoses who participated in a time-limited version of internet-delivered PCIT (I-PCIT). Measures included treatment attrition, homework completion, parent reports of parenting strategies, child behavior, and parenting stress, as well as coded observations of parent use of treatment skills and child compliance. Treatment engagement findings indicated that parents of children with a diagnosis of ADHD and children with higher receptive language levels were more likely to complete treatment. Few predictors of child treatment outcomes were identified. Child ASD diagnosis was predictive of lesser improvement in only parent-reported outcome (i.e., laxness) but not observed outcomes. Parents with a diagnosis of depression demonstrated the greatest engagement and positive outcomes as defined by higher rates of treatment completion and greater improvement in parenting practices. Results underscore that I-PCIT is a robust treatment option with relatively comparable outcomes across diagnostic populations, and highlight that certain clinical presentations may facilitate treatment completion and outcomes. Future work should explore how clinical characteristics and factors may be useful in matching patients to treatment delivery modality.