Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Referred Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study tested two types of parent training programs to help reduce difficult behaviors in children with autism. 97 families participated - some received face-to-face training, others received online training, and some were on a waiting list. The face-to-face parent training worked well and helped reduce children's noncompliance and irritability, with benefits lasting 6 months. The online training didn't work as well and many families dropped out. Face-to-face parent training appears to be an effective option for families dealing with challenging behaviors.

This randomized controlled trial examined the effectiveness of parent training programs for disruptive behaviors in 97 children with ASD (ages 4-13) in routine mental health care settings. Participants were randomized to face-to-face parent training, blended (online-assisted) parent training, or waitlist control. Face-to-face parent training significantly improved parent-rated child noncompliance and irritability compared to control, with effects sustained at 6-month follow-up. However, blended parent training showed no significant improvement over control and experienced high attrition rates.

This study extends efficacy findings to real-world clinical settings, supporting face-to-face parent training as an effective intervention for disruptive behaviors in children with ASD.

Face-to-face parent training should be considered first-line intervention for disruptive behaviors in children with ASD in clinical settings. Online/blended approaches require further development before routine implementation. Findings support translation of efficacy research to real-world mental health services.

High attrition in blended condition may limit conclusions about online delivery effectiveness. Parent-rated outcomes may introduce bias. Single-site study in routine care setting may limit generalizability. No comparison between the two active treatment conditions reported.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether face-to-face and therapist-assisted online (i.e., blended) behavioral parent training are effective on reducing disruptive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in routine mental health care. Ninety-seven children with ASD (4-13 years; 76 boys) were randomized to face-to-face parent training, blended parent training, or a waitlist control condition. We assessed treatment effects on parent-rated child noncompliance (primary outcome) and irritability (secondary outcome). This involved comparing both formats separately to the control condition using linear regression models.

Child behaviors at 6 months follow-up were also examined. Children in the face-to-face parent training condition improved significantly more on noncompliance and irritability than children in the waitlist condition and improvements sustained to 6 months follow-up. Children in the blended condition did not improve more than children in the waitlist condition and attrition was high. Our results extend findings from efficacy studies to routine mental health care and advocate the use of face-to-face parent training for disruptive behaviors in children with ASD.

More research into blended parent training programs for children with ASD and disruptive behaviors in routine mental health care should be conducted to draw more definite conclusions about the value of blended parent training for these children. Trial registration number NL4712; date of registration 22-10-2014.