What Do Parents of Autistic Children Think about Their Early Intervention Experience?
When starting an early intervention program for your child and family, you may have many questions: What will this look like? How will it help my child? How can I support my child’s learning at home?
A recent study explored what parents of young autistic children found helpful – and, sometimes, challenging -about their early intervention experience.
What Did the Study Look at?
Researchers interviewed 12 parents of autistic children (ages 2-5) who participated in an early intervention program.
Parents had learned to use simple, natural strategies to support their child’s communication and social development during everyday activities at home. The early interventionists worked with parents to support their learning, giving them feedback and support along the way.
What Parents Found Helpful
After the intervention ended, parents discussed what they had found helpful. Here are some of the common themes that parents shared:
Parents found it helpful to…
• Learn specific strategies (e.g., follow the child’s lead, use simple language) to encourage their child to communicate more
• See strategies modelled by an interventionist before trying them out
• Get feedback and encouragement while practicing with their child
• Build a strong, trusting relationship with their interventionist
• Attend a mixture of clinic- and home-based sessions
• Receive “homework” activities that helped them remember to use strategies
Challenges and Solutions
In the study, parents also shared what they found challenging about the intervention. Here is a list of the common themes some parents identified and our recommendations for how to address these challenges:
| Some parents found it challenging to… | A recommended solution is to… |
|---|---|
| Fit intervention strategies into daily routines Some parents felt that their schedules were too busy or “chaotic” for strategies to fit into the family’s routines. Parents’ own availability (e.g., work schedules) occasionally made it difficult to attend intervention sessions consistently. In some cases, parents may have chosen a daily routine that did not fit with the appointment time (e.g., bedtime). This may have contributed to the challenge of using strategies successfully because the parent had fewer opportunities to be coached in real time. | Break routines into manageable parts Certain daily routines may be tricky to capture within a session (e.g., mealtime). But routines are everywhere you look! Check out this Hanen article for more ideas about how many routines are part of your child’s day. Practicing strategies within one routine during a session still sets you up to try the strategies in another routine on your own. Even so, some routines are long and have many steps. Instead of trying to use a strategy throughout an entire routine, you can zoom in on just one small part. For example, going to the park is a big routine, with many, many steps (putting on your child’s shoes, walking down the street, etc.) Simplifying a complicated routine down to your child’s favourite part (such as going down the slide) makes it easier to practice the strategies. |
| Collaborate with the interventionist to set goals Some parents reported feeling overwhelmed at the beginning of the intervention. This made it difficult for them to participate in setting goals for their child. Parents described being in “survival mode” or feeling “under water” by the amount of pressure they felt to support their child’s development. | Take the pressure off (yourself!) It’s natural to feel overwhelmed when starting something new. From the very start, you have the capacity to help your child. Sharing your child’s strengths and expressing your concerns often helps to shape the intervention experience so it is most meaningful for your family. When choosing goals, talk about what is most important to you and ask how you will be helped to support your child in achieving those goals. You might have a lot on your mind at once. If you feel uncertain about why you are working on a particular goal, or if you have difficulty with a particular strategy, it’s important to discuss these concerns with the interventionist! |
| Think about next steps for their child’s development and services Some parents felt uncertain about how they would continue to support their child after the intervention ended. They expressed a need for more “concrete” steps to follow. | Ask questions and problem-solve In the last few sessions, talk to your interventionist about how you can provide ongoing support for your child, and ask for ideas as to how you will adjust to your child’s needs “on the go.” |
To Sum Up
In this study, we see how – even within a small group – parents have many different learning preferences and needs. Every family is unique, and your interventionist can work with you to ensure that you and your child get the most out of the intervention process.
You have an essential role to play in your child’s early intervention. While it is natural to feel overwhelmed or anxious at the start, your perspectives can help shape the best intervention experience for your family. Regularly sharing your reflections and concerns, or asking questions about how strategies will work for your family, provides significant feedback that contributes to supporting your child’s communication development.
The Hanen approach is designed to make intervention practical and simple to use at home. If you’re looking for ways to support your autistic child's social communication development, learn more about the Hanen More Than Words® Program.
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