Parent utilization of ImPACT intervention strategies is a mediator of proximal then distal social communication outcomes in younger siblings of children with ASD

Abstract

Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (HR-Sibs) are at elevated risk for social communication deficits and language delays. One way to mitigate this risk early, before these deficits and delays become clear or impairing, may be to equip parents to use the strategies taught through the Improving Parents as Communication Teachers (ImPACT) intervention. In this randomized control trial, 97 HR-Sibs (mean age 14 months) and their primary caregiver were randomized to either ImPACT or a business-as-usual control group. Our a priori, preregistered hypothesis was that parents’ participation in ImPACT training would indirectly attenuate younger siblings’ social communication challenges 9 months later by sequentially increasing parents’ use of ImPACT strategies immediately after the intervention phase and by improving children’s midpoint proximal skills (e.g. motor imitation or intentional communication). Results supported this prediction.

Lay abstract

Later born siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at elevated risk for language delay or ASD. One way to manage this risk may be for parents to use techniques taught in Improving Parents as Communication Teachers (ImPACT) with the younger siblings during the period in which language delay and ASD may be too subtle to be diagnosed. ImPACT targets children’s play, imitation, and communication skills. Improvement in these skills may reduce the severity of language delays and social communication deficits associated with ASD. In this study, 97 younger siblings of children with ASD and their primary parents were randomly assigned to ImPACT or a control group. We measured whether parents used ImPACT teaching strategies and whether children used the skills that ImPACT targets. We also measured children’s later language ability and social communication skills. The results confirmed our predictions that parents’ use of ImPACT strategies improves language ability by improving children’s motor imitation and communication skills. Use of ImPACT also had a positive effect on children’s language delay and ASD symptoms, supporting the clinical value of the findings. The study’s methodological strengths make this one of the most rigorous tests of ImPACT and supports one way to manage the risk of language delay and ASD in younger siblings of children with ASD.