A home-based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: Outcomes for Saudi Arabian families

Abstract

Parents of children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle to find appropriate educational and behavioural resources to support their children. These resources are particularly lacking in countries with fewer resources overall. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate training program for parents, specifically mothers, of children diagnosed with ASD in Saudi Arabia. The participants included Saudi parents (n=5) and their children (n=5), all 4 to 8 years of age. The single subject study utilised a multiple probe across participants design. The researcher and each parent collaboratively developed a home based intervention (HBI) to teach a specifically targeted skill for their child. Observational data was collected to measure the accuracy and reliability of the parents’ ability to deliver instruction to their children. The primary dependent variable was the parents’ fidelity in treatment implementation and the secondary dependent variable was the children’s acquisition of targeted skills. Results indicate a high level of fidelity of intervention (parents) with a high rate of acquisition (children) of the targeted skills. Implications of the study including limitations and future research are discussed.