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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Mar;47(3):846-857.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2994-z.

Training Parents of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Advocate for Adult Disability Services: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Julie Lounds Taylor  1   2 , Robert M Hodapp  3   4 , Meghan M Burke  5 , Sydney N Waitz-Kudla  4 , Carol Rabideau  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Training Parents of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Advocate for Adult Disability Services: Results from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Julie Lounds Taylor et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

This study presents findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial, testing a 12-week intervention to train parents of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to advocate for adult disability services-the Volunteer Advocacy Program-Transition (VAP-T). Participants included 41 parents of youth with ASD within 2 years of high school exit, randomly assigned to a treatment (N = 20) or wait-list control (N = 21) group. Outcomes, collected before and after the intervention, included parental knowledge about adult services, advocacy skills-comfort, and empowerment. The VAP-T had acceptable feasibility, treatment fidelity, and acceptability. After participating in the VAP-T, intervention parents (compared to controls) knew more about the adult service system, were more skilled/comfortable advocating, and felt more empowered.

Keywords: Advocacy; Autism spectrum disorder; Empowerment; Intervention; Parents; Randomized controlled trial; Services; Transition to adulthood.

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