Online Training Program for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

项目摘要 自闭症正在迅速成为美国儿童中的一种流行病。2007年至2009年期间，疾病预防控制中心报告的病例平均增加了57%，从150名儿童中的1名增加到110名儿童中的1名。虽然意识和识别能力的提高是这一增长的一部分，但疾病预防控制中心不能排除风险的真正增加，特别是在男孩中，他们现在被诊断患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的可能性是女孩的4.5倍。为自闭症儿童及其家庭提供的服务没有跟上自闭症病例数量的急剧增加，特别是在国家预算紧缩的时候;此外，由于地理，财务或实际障碍，一些父母无法获得现有的服务。拟议的项目，自闭症谱系障碍儿童父母在线培训计划，将向父母传授基于证据的策略，他们可以使用这些策略来帮助他们的孩子在健康家庭生活所必需的行为方面取得更大的成功，例如，掌握自我护理的常规。通过利用互联网技术为父母提供高质量，科学有效，并具有吸引力的亲职教育，该项目希望解决目前在提供ASD支持服务方面的差距。这一培训方案将帮助父母以具有成本效益的方式获得必要的支助服务，为他们提供一个方便的方案，他们可以在方便的时候参加。每一个程序会话将包含丰富的多媒体课程，呈现引人入胜的，现实的视频小插曲;互动式技能建设练习;互动式知识评估，以加强知识的保留;与行为顾问谁专门在ASD互动和反馈的机会;动机提醒;日志活动，以跟踪成功和挑战;和补充印刷材料。将进行涉及ASD儿童父母和ASD儿童服务提供者的焦点小组的形成性研究，以确保解决所需的问题，并在制定计划内容和向父母提供计划之前获得有关拟议计划的重要性，有用性，相关性和可接受性的反馈。实施后，一个双面板，准实验前和培训后的设计将被用来评估在线程序的可用性和可行性。还将评估自我效能、知识和父母压力的变化。最后，将从参与者那里收集测试后的消费者满意度评估和修改计划的建议。

PROJECT SUMMARY Autism is fast becoming an epidemic among American children. Between 2007 and 2009, the CDC reported an average increase in cases of 57 percent, from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 110 children. While improved awareness and identification accounted for some of this increase, the CDC could not rule out a true increase in risk, particularly among boys, who are now 4.5 times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Services for children with ASD and their families have not kept up with this dramatic increase in the number of ASD cases, particularly in this time of state budget tightening; in addition, some parents cannot access existing services because of geographical, financial, or practical barriers. The proposed project, the Online Training Program for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, will teach parents evidence-based strategies that they can use to help their child be more successful in behaviors that are essential for healthy family life, e.g., mastering self-care routines. By using Internet technology to provide parents with high quality, scientifically valid, and instructionally engaging parenting education, this project hopes to address the existing gap in the delivery of ASD support services. This training program will help parents receive necessary support services in a cost-effective manner by providing them with an easily accessible program that they can attend to at their convenience. Each program session will contain rich multimedia lessons that present engaging, realistic video vignettes; interactive skill-building exercises; interactive knowledge assessments to reinforce knowledge retention; opportunities for interaction with and feedback from behavioral consultants who specialize in ASD; motivational reminders; journaling activities to track successes and challenges; and supplementary print materials. Formative research involving focus groups with both parents of children with ASD and service providers who work with children with ASD will be conducted to ensure that needed issues are addressed and to obtain feedback on the perceived importance, usefulness, relevance, and acceptability of the proposed program before program content is developed and the program is delivered to parents. Following implementation, a two-panel, quasi-experimental pre- and post-training design will be employed to assess the usability and feasibility of the online program. Changes in self-efficacy, knowledge, and parental stress will also be evaluated. Finally, post-test evaluation of consumer satisfaction and recommendations for modifications to the program will be collected from participants.