Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Amanda Mossman Steiner, Yale Child Study Center; Grace W. Gengoux, Stanford University; Ami Klin, Emory University; Katarzyna Chawarska, Yale Child Study Center
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-01-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1542-8
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• ISSN: 0162-3257
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 91
• End Page: 102
• Grant/Funding Information: The project was supported by Award Number R01 MH087554 from the National Institute of Mental Health (PI: K. Chawarska) and P01 HD03008; Project 1 (PI: K. Chawarska) from the National Institute of Child Health and Development.
• Keywords: YOUNG-CHILDREN; BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT; PARENTS; Psychology, Developmental; Psychology; LANGUAGE; Early intervention; SIBLINGS; INTERVENTION; PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS; Parent education; Pivotal response treatment; SOCIAL BEHAVIORS; Infant siblings; Social Sciences; PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN; CLINICAL-ASSESSMENT
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Mental Health; Psychology, Developmental

Abstract

Presently there is limited research to suggest efficacious interventions for infants at-risk for autism. Pivotal response treatment (PRT) has empirical support for use with preschool children with autism, but there are no reports in the literature utilizing this approach with infants. In the current study, a developmental adaptation of PRT was piloted via a brief parent training model with three infants at-risk for autism. Utilizing a multiple baseline design, the data suggest that the introduction of PRT resulted in increases in the infants' frequency of functional communication and parents' fidelity of implementation of PRT procedures. Results provide preliminary support for the feasibility and utility of PRT for very young children at-risk for autism.