Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2018-5
The use of behavior modeling training in a mobile app parent training program to improve functional communication of young children with autism spectrum disorder
Communication intervention in early life can significantly impact long-term outcomes for young children with autism. Parents can be vital resources in the midst of the current manpower shortage. Map4speech is a new mobile application developed for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. It is specially designed to provide high-quality, interactive learning, coupled with frequent feedback and live coaching to train parents in a naturalistic language intervention. A multiple-baseline single-case experimental design was conducted across three parent–child dyads. Results indicate that procedural integrity of parents’ intervention techniques was above 85% during post-training intervention, and their respective children showed increases in spontaneous word/gesture use. The results show that mobile applications with feedback can be a promising means for improving efficiency and effectiveness in disseminating evidence-based practices for autism intervention.
AaronsGASommerfeldDHHechtDBet al. (2009) The impact of evidence-based practice implementation and fidelity monitoring on staff turnover: evidence for a protective effect. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology77: 270–280.
2.
American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2013) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Washington, DC: APA.
3.
BanduraA (1976) Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
4.
Brookman-FrazeeLIStahmerABaker-EriczénMet al. (2006) Parenting interventions for children with autism spectrum and disruptive behavior disorders: opportunities for cross-fertilization. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review9: 181–200.
5.
CarterSL (2007) Review of recent treatment acceptability research. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities42: 301–316.
DeckerPJ (1980) Effects of symbolic coding and rehearsal in behavior-modeling training. Journal of Applied Psychology65: 627–634.
8.
DeckerPJNathanBR (1985) Behavior Modeling Training: Principles and Applications. New York: Praeger.
9.
DunstCJTrivetteCM (2012) Meta-analysis of implementation practice research. In: KellyBPerkinsDF (eds) Handbook of Implementation Science for Psychology in Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.68–91.
10.
EliasT (2011) Universal instructional design principles for mobile learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning12(2): 78–102.
11.
FensonLMarchmanVAThalDJet al. (2007) Macarthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories: User’s Guide and Technical Manual. 2nd ed.Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.
12.
FisherWWPiazzaCCBowmanLGet al. (1992) A comparison of two approaches for identifying reinforcers for persons with severe to profound disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis25: 491–498.
13.
FordJKKozlowskiSWJKraigerKet al. (2014) Improving Training Effectiveness in Work Organizations. New York: Psychology Press.
14.
GedikNHanci-KarademirciAKursonEet al. (2012) Key instructional design issues in a cellular phone-based mobile learning project. Computers & Education58(4): 1149–1159.
15.
HarrisSL (1994) Treatment of family problems in autism. In: ScholplerEMesibovG (eds) Behavioral Issues in Autism. New York: Springer, pp.161–175.
16.
IngersollBDvortcsakA (2006) Including parent training in the early childhood special education curriculum for children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions8: 79–87.
17.
IngersollBDvortcsakA (2010) Teaching Social Communication to Children with Autism (2 book set): A Practitioner’s Guide to Parent Training and a Manual for Parents. New York: Guilford Press.
18.
KarstJSVan HeckeAV (2012) Parent and family impact of autism spectrum disorders: a review and proposed model for intervention evaluation. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review15: 247–277.
19.
KazdinAE (2011) Single-Case Research Designs: Methods for Clinical and Applied Settings. New York: Oxford University Press.
20.
KoegelRLO’DellMCKoegelLK (1987) A natural language teaching paradigm for nonverbal autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders17: 187–200.
21.
KoegelRLSchreibmanLBrittenKRet al. (1982) A comparison of parent training to direct child treatment. In: KoegelRLRincoverAEgelAL (eds) Educating and Understanding Autistic Children. San Diego, CA: College Hill Press, pp.260–279.
22.
KoegelRLSymonJBKoegelL (2002) Parent education for families of children with autism living in geographically distant areas. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions4: 88–103.
23.
KratochwillTRHitchcockJHHornerRHet al. (2013) Single-case intervention research design standards. Remedial and Special Education34: 26–38.
24.
LawGC (2016) The use of a mobile app parent training program to improve functional communication of children with autism spectrum disorder. PhD Thesis, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
MeadanHDaczewitzME (2015) Internet-based intervention training for parents of young children with disabilities: a promising service-delivery model. Early Child Development and Care185: 155–169.
27.
MeadanHOstroskyMMZaghlawanHYet al. (2009) Promoting the social and communicative behavior of young children with autism spectrum disorders: a review of parent-implemented intervention studies. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education29: 90–104.
28.
MoesDRFreaWD (2002) Contextualized behavioral support in early intervention for children with autism and their families. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders32: 519–533.
29.
MohrDCSchuellerSMMontagueEet al. (2014) The behavioral intervention technology model: an integrated conceptual and technological framework for eHealth and mHealth interventions. Journal of Medical Internet Research16(6): e146.
30.
National Research Council (2001) Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism: Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
31.
NetaGGlasgowRECarpenterCRet al. (2015) A framework for enhancing the value of research for dissemination and implementation. American Journal of Public Health105: 49–57.
32.
NevillRELecavalierLStratisEA (2016) Meta-analysis of parent-mediated interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism. Epub ahead of print 14November2016. DOI: 10.1177/1362361316677838.
33.
ParkY (2011) A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: categorizing applications of mobile technologies into four types. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning12(2): 78–102.
34.
ParkerRIVannestKJDavisJL (2011) Effect size in single-case research: a review of nine nonoverlap techniques. Behavior Modification35: 303–322.
35.
PattersonSYSmithVMirendaP (2012) A systematic review of training programs for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders: single subject contributions. Autism16: 498–522.
36.
RakapSRakapS (2014) Parent-implemented naturalistic language interventions for young children with disabilities: a systematic review of single-subject experimental research studies. Educational Research Review13: 35–51.
37.
ReimersTMWackerDPCooperLJ (1991) Evaluation of the acceptability of treatments for children’s behavioral difficulties: ratings by parents receiving services in an outpatient clinic. Child and Family Behavior Therapy13: 53–71.
38.
RoessgerKM (2012) Toward an interdisciplinary perspective: a review of adult learning frameworks and theoretical models of motor learning. Adult Education Quarterly62: 371–392.
39.
RogersSJDawsonG (2010) Early Start Denver Model for Young Children with Autism: Promoting Language, Learning, and Engagement. New York: Guilford Press.
40.
SchreibmanL (2000) Intensive behavioral/psychoeducational treatments for autism: research needs and future directions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders30: 373–378.
41.
SchreibmanLAndersonA (2001) Focus on integration: the future of the behavioral treatment of autism. Behavior Therapy32: 619–632.
42.
SchreibmanLDawsonGStahmerAet al. (2015) Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions: empirically validated treatments for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders45: 2411–2428.
43.
SchultzTRSchmidtCTStichterJP (2011) A review of parent education programs for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities26: 96–104.
44.
ScruggsTEMastropieriMA (1998) Summarizing single-subject research issues and applications. Behavior Modification22: 221–242.
StadnickNAStahmerABrookman-FrazeeL (2015) Preliminary effectiveness of project imPACT: a parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder delivered in a community program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders45: 2092–2104.
47.
StirmanSWCrits-ChristophPDeRubeisRJ (2004) Achieving successful dissemination of empirically supported psychotherapies: a synthesis of dissemination theory. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice11: 343–359.
48.
TaylorPJRuss-EftDFChanDWL (2005) A meta-analytic review of behavior modeling training. Journal of Applied Psychology90: 692–709.
49.
TongeBBreretonAKiomallMet al. (2006) Effects on parental mental health of an education and skills training program for parents of young children with autism: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry45: 561–569.
50.
VismaraLAColombiCRogersSJ (2009) Can one hour per week of therapy lead to lasting changes in young children with autism?Autism13: 93–115.
51.
VismaraLAMcCormickCYoungGSet al. (2013) Preliminary findings of a telehealth approach to parent training in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders43: 2953–2969.
52.
WainerAIngersollB (2013) Intervention fidelity: an essential component for understanding ASD parent training research and practice. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice20: 335–357.
53.
WainerAIngersollB (2014) Increasing access to an ASD imitation intervention via a telehealth parent training program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders45: 3877–3890.
54.
WarrenZMcPheetersMLSatheNet al. (2011) A systematic review of early intensive intervention for autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics127(5): e1303–e1311.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
