ASD Parent Trainer: Online coaching for parents of children with autism (APT) -
PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of this project is to develop and disseminate the Autism Parent Trainer (APT), an online platform
that provides parents of children with autism coach-facilitated instruction in how to teach new behaviors,
manage problem behaviors, and learn emotion regulation and stress reduction strategies. APT will use
Google+ Hangouts technology as the communication medium, which allows participants to: (a) synchronously
attend online workshops where they can interact with a coach, a group of peers, and a curriculum grounded in
evidence-based practice; and (b) asynchronously accessed skill-building instructional materials related to the
online instruction. Significance: The APT delivery model addresses the well-documented shortcomings of
current parent training approaches, including limited accessibility, high cost, and lack of peer support. In
Phase I, we will pilot and test three introductory online sessions focused on: (a) making adjustments to family
functioning, (b) teaching appropriate behaviors using a behavioral learning system, and (c) self-care and stress
management. Investigators: The PIs have extensive experience training parents of children with autism as well
as grant management; project team members have years of experience in translational research involving
media and Internet technologies. The project benefits from participation by key consultants with strong
backgrounds in autism research and advocacy, as well as parent training. Innovation: The APT platform is a
"cloud-based" application that will allow users to access group sessions and individual portfolios from any
kind of computing device, including smart phones, and will provide easy access to artifacts and media in the
cloud. The APT delivery model is specifically designed to overcome barriers to existing parent training
programs, including limited accessibility, excessive cost, and lack of peer support. Approach: Program
development will include formative research to develop program materials and assess goodness-of-fit via
focus groups and consultant input and review. APT's technical merit, feasibility and commercialization
potential will be examined in a two-panel pre- and post-test design. Outcome measures will include parental
self-efficacy and satisfaction, parental stress, and knowledge gains. Environment: The institutional support,
equipment, and physical resources required to develop and disseminate the program are available. IRIS Ed
enjoys close ties with the University of Oregon, Oregon Social Learning Center, and Oregon Research Institute.
Commercialization: IRIS Ed prides itself on its commitment to commercializing training interventions; its
growth strategy is to develop a line of media-based training products through capital investment and high
performance on competitive grants. All IRIS Ed products are copyright protected by the laws of the United
States (Title 17, U. S. Code). Through continued funding and strategic partnerships, IRIS Ed plans to extend its
product line and continue to benefit specialized, underserved populations.
