Parent-Mediated Autism Intervention Through a Culturally Informed Lens: Parents Taking Action and Pivotal Response Training with Latine Families

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of autism has increased substantially among Latine children; however, few service systems are prepared to provide culturally relevant services. Parents Taking Action (PTA) is a culturally informed parent-mediated psychoeducation program designed to meet the informational needs of Latine families with children with autism. The purpose of this study was to pilot a hybrid model of intervention by including direct parent coaching through pivotal response training (PRT) along with PTA among Latina mothers of children with autism. Methods: Ten Latina mothers of children eight years of age with autism participated in this study. The mothers received PTA from two bilingual trained promotoras (community health workers). PTA provided 14 2 h psychoeducation sessions. The mothers also received four one-hour sessions of PRT from bilingual/bicultural coaches. Results: Paired samples t-tests indicated significant increases in the families' outcomes, their self-efficacy in using the intervention strategies, and their frequency of using strategies, from pre- to post-test. Conclusions: This study suggests that culturally informed parent-mediated autism intervention coupled with parent coaching positively affects family outcomes among Latine families of children with autism.

Keywords: Latine; autism; culturally informed; families; intervention.