The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of adaptability, especially in the realm of education and therapy. A recent study titled The Efficacy of Using Telehealth to Coach Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on How to Use Naturalistic Teaching to Increase Mands, Tacts and Intraverbals offers compelling evidence on how telehealth can be a game-changer for families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The study by Ferguson, Dounavi, and Craig (2022) demonstrates the effectiveness of using telehealth to coach parents in naturalistic teaching strategies. These strategies are designed to enhance social communication skills in children by focusing on three verbal operants: mands (requests), tacts (labels), and intraverbals (conversational responses).
Key Takeaways for Practitioners
- Parental Empowerment: The study showed that parents trained via telehealth displayed increased fidelity in implementing naturalistic teaching strategies. This not only boosted their confidence but also had a positive impact on their children's communication skills.
- Child Outcomes: Both children in the study showed significant improvements in their use of mands, tacts, and intraverbals. This indicates that telehealth can be a viable platform for achieving meaningful communication outcomes.
- Adaptability: The study was conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown, proving that telehealth can offer consistent and effective training even in challenging circumstances.
Implementing the Findings
As a practitioner, you can leverage the insights from this study to improve your telehealth services. Here are some actionable steps:
- Offer Comprehensive Training: Ensure that your telehealth training modules cover all three verbal operants. This holistic approach will provide a more rounded development for the child.
- Use Visual Aids: Utilize PDFs, flow diagrams, and simplified fidelity checklists to make the training more accessible and understandable for parents.
- Regular Feedback: Provide ongoing, specific feedback to parents. This will help them fine-tune their strategies and maintain high fidelity in their implementation.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study offers promising results, it also opens the door for further research. Future studies could explore the long-term impact of telehealth training and its effectiveness across different cultural contexts. Additionally, research could focus on refining the strategies to include more personalized approaches for each child.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: The Efficacy of Using Telehealth to Coach Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on How to Use Naturalistic Teaching to Increase Mands, Tacts and Intraverbals.
