As the prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continues to increase, more and more interest is being given to training the parents of children diagnosed with the disability so that they can become effective parent therapists. This thesis investigated different parent training options, focusing on a variety of skills. The aim was to understand which contingencies are relevant for effective parent training and generalisation of acquired skills. In Study 1 a questionnaire was cascaded to parents of individuals in Northern Ireland with an ASD diagnosis to understand the services and support provided following the diagnosis and to determine which services, if any, were lacking. Results showed that parents in Northern Ireland desired effective behavioural help which was not forthcoming from statutory services. From these findings Study 2 investigated the impact of a four-week intensive parent training course in the principles of behaviour analysis and strategies derived from these principles for teaching new skills and changing behaviour. Results showed that all participants, when compared to baseline data, had an increase in their understanding of behavioural principles. Lessons from Study 2 informed the design of Study 3. This time the training intensity was reduced to 10 1-hour session or 5 2-hour sessions to determine whether attendance was more consistent than was observed in Study 2. Both training events augmented the findings of those in Study 2, with all participants increasing their understanding of key behavioural principles while attendance at both events was consistent. Studies 4 and 5 examined the effectiveness of a one-day training event that focused on one behavioural technology to teach new skills. Results from Study 4 showed that all participants were able to break a skill down into the specific components and from understanding of the task analysis procedure could teach new skills. Data from Study 5 showed that traditional methods of educating adults may not be the most effective. Three conditions were used to teach parents to identify mistakes in the Discrete Trial Teaching method. The superior condition included an Animation, devised specifically for explaining Discrete Trial Teaching. The other two conditions, a PowerPoint presentation and Text were not as effective. Collectively, the findings in this thesis pave the way for effective training for families living with autism and they offer suggestions for innovative ways in how we teach behaviour analysis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:766967 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Booth, Nichola |
| Publisher | Ulster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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