Exploring the Predictors of Family Outcomes of Early Intervention for Children on the Autism Spectrum: An Australian Cohort Study

Abstract

Family outcomes of early intervention (EI) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have received limited research attention to date. This study explored potential predictors of family outcomes and EI perceived helpfulness on the Family Outcomes Survey–Revised, utilizing an adapted double ABCX framework. Participants were 97 mothers of children aged 4 to 5 years (M = 60.47 months; SD = 6.62; 87.6% male) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Students with Autism (LASA). Parent and family factors were significant predictors, whereas child characteristics were largely nonsignificant beyond variance explained by parent and family factors. Findings highlight the importance of parent and family factors when considering family outcomes of EI and whether parents perceive benefits from their engagement with EI services. Overall, a shift in the focus of EI outcome evaluation is indicated, which views parents and families as meaningful to overall optimal EI outcomes.