Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Young Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Report

Papadopoulos (Dimitris)
Greek Association of Mental Health for Children and Adults (PEPSYPE), Andromachis 42, 17671, Kallithea (Athens)

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 117, 10-07-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

high-functioning ASD, young children, behavior, case study

Summary

Autism is a severe developmental disorder whose symptoms are usually identified early on in childhood and remain present during life-span, affecting the daily functioning and psychosocial adjustment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based parenting intervention developed for children with ASD, attention deficit/hyperactivity and behavioral disorders. This study examines the application and effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), as a first-line psychological intervention for a 5-year-old boy with high-functioning autism who demonstrate co-occurring severe difficulties in behavior and emotional regulation. The intervention followed the PCIT protocol with minor changes. After 13 PCIT sessions, findings indicated that: (a) the boy showed an improvement in behavioral domain and in adaptability that was maintained at follow-up session (6 months later), and  (b) the parents reported higher awareness of parenting skills and less stress. This case study indicates the effects of PCIT in families of children with high-functioning ASD and suggest that PCIT may be a favorable method to enhance the behavioral difficulties and emotional competences of high-functioning children with ASD  in early childhood. Future research should examine the effectiveness of PCIT in larger  samples of older children. Recommendations for developmental and school psychologists will be presented.

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