Educating Parents: Behavioral Intervention in Autism

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的长期目标是开发一个六模块的计算机为基础的课程，教育自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的性质，目的和行为干预（BI）的程序幼儿的父母。BI是一种公认的“最佳实践”科学方法，用于教授ASD中的关键发展技能和预防/治疗适应不良行为。服务提供商应尽早密集实施BI，以最大限度地为早期开发提供关键窗口。ASD儿童的父母需要一种实用，有效的BI教育手段，以便在安排服务时与医疗，心理和教育专业人员进行早期有效的互动。虽然现有的课程提供高级培训，但它们不能满足家长作为消费者的直接教育需求。教科书、网络材料和讲习班没有提供计算机教学可能具有的重要教学特点。第一阶段STTR提案旨在确定开发BI六模块课程的科学/技术价值和可行性。具体目标是：1）开发第一个模块原型; 2）与一组ASD幼儿的父母一起对该模块进行形成性评估，以解决内容呈现，教学法和技术可用性特征; 3）对修订后的模块进行总结性评估，以评估与新父母组的学习情况; 4）开发教学设计手册，以指导第二阶段后续模块的产品开发;（5）制定第二阶段的研究和发展议程。八（8）名家长将参与形成性评价（目标2），四名有BI经验，四名没有。参与者将完成课程活动的样本，生成个人表现数据，然后参加焦点小组，提供他们的主观体验的反馈。20名患有ASD但没有BI经验的幼儿家长将参与总结性评价（目标3）。学习成果将通过对测试前和测试后表现的统计比较进行评估。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of this project is to develop a six-module computer-based course to educate parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the nature, purpose and procedures of behavioral intervention (BI). BI is a consensus "best practice" scientific methodology for teaching critical developmental skills and preventing/treating maladaptive behavior in ASD. BI should be implemented early and intensively by service providers to maximize a critical window for early development. Parents of children with ASD need a practical, efficient means of education in BI in order to interact early and effectively with medical, psychological and educational professionals as services are arranged. While existing courses offer advanced training, they do not meet parents' immediate educational needs as consumers. Texts, web materials and workshops do not offer important pedagogical features possible with computer-based instruction. This Phase I STTR proposal seeks to determine the scientific/technical merit and feasibility of developing a six-module course in BI. Specific aims are to: 1) develop a prototype first module; 2) conduct a formative evaluation of this module with a group of parents of young children with ASD, to address content presentation, pedagogy and technical usability characteristics; 3) conduct a summative evaluation of the revised module to assess learning with a new group of parents; 4) develop an instructional design manual to guide product development of subsequent modules in Phase II; and 5) develop an agenda for research and development in Phase II. Eight (8) parents will participate in the formative evaluation (Aim #2), four with experience in BI and four without. Participants will complete a sample of course activities, generating individual performance data, and then participate in a focus group to provide feedback on their subjective experiences. Twenty (20) parents with young children with ASD, but no experience in BI, will participate in the summative evaluation (Aim # 3). Learning outcomes will be assessed via a statistical comparison of pre- and post-test performance.