Date of Award

Spring 2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Laura Knouse

Abstract

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), early intervention is incredibly important. In order for a behavioral intervention to be fully effective, it needs to be followed at all times of the day, not just during school hours. Because of this, a key factor during intervention is the involvement of parents of the child with the disorder. Parents/caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders participating in behavioral interventions at the Faison School for Autism were surveyed in order to find out more about strategies used when implementing a child’s behavioral plan at home, and also their overall understanding of the plan itself. Other information of key parenting constructs was collected using the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI), and Early Intervention Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale (EIPSES). These measures were collected before and after a one-session intervention in order to evaluate the impact of that training on the parents/caregivers that have a child with ASDs. Three parents participated in this study with varying profiles and responses to the intervention. Two of the parents who reported implementing the child’s behavior plan at home had low levels of stress and did not have many overall changes after intervention. The other profile of parent reported not implementing the behavior plan at home and was clinically stressed in addition to having some relationship issues with her child. These results support the idea that stress levels of the parent may be associated with their relationship with their child.

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