Effect of Parent-based Autism Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder Children

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects a child’s mental development, causing challenges in communication, socialisation and behaviour. There is a rising prevalence in India, with 1 in 68 children being affected. There is a need for early intervention strategies based on parent-implemented strategies. These activities can be guided by trained therapists offering practical support for families, empowering parents to help their children develop essential skills. A parent-mediated intervention model, VQURA (value-based, quality interaction, unique for the child, responsive and adapted for the family needs), was developed in a hospital-based setting integrating responsive teaching, naturalistic developmental behaviour interventions and applied behaviour analysis to address cognitive, communication, social-emotional, behavioural and sensory needs. In this pilot study, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale, the Indian Scale of Assessment of Autism, Children’s Communication Checklist 2 and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist were used to evaluate the efficacy of the model. Monthly training sessions enabled parents to implement structured protocols for strategies at home, supporting skills in social interaction, language, empathy, self-regulation, sensory processing and motor skills. A regular developmental assessment tool was used to monitor the child’s progress. This assessment revealed a marked improvement in the child’s development and reduced autism characteristics.