The Effects of Telehealth Training on Parents of Children with Autism in Albania

• Main Author: Griffiths, Freskida
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2020
• Subjects: autism; parent training; mand; request; communication; Albania; Counseling Psychology
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/8427; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9427&context=etd

The present study evaluated telehealth training with parents on techniques for working with their children with autism spectrum disorder in Southeastern Europe. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of telehealth training on the parents and the increase of mands on the children. The participants of this study included three mothers and three children, which totaled six participants. Parents were trained on how to increase functional communication in their child. Telehealth training was based on an effective training package called Behavior Skills Training (BST). BST consist of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The resources needed for the training were minimal. They included access to internet, a device installed with a camera, and the children’s preferred items which were placed within view but outside the reach of the child. Sessions were recorded where parents interacted with their child during the generalization sessions as well as during the role plays with the trainer. The videos were observed in order to collect frequency data, determine if parents completed each step of the training, and if the child manded during each session. All three parent participants reported an increase in manding from their child, better communication skills between them and their child, and an increase in self-efficacy. These results suggest that countries in South-Eastern Europe should seek to implement telehealth training, mand training, and parent training as a program that not only these families may benefit from, but also the entire community. Future research should be conducted with a larger sample size and with more trainers using telehealth as an effective tool to increase better communication and decrease problem behaviors.