PCIT for Children with Autism: Pre-Post Changes in Parenting Skills and Child Behavior

Kelsey Keen*, Emily Lafferty*, Erinn Victory, BA, Robin Han, MSEd, Lindsay Druskin, BA, Suzi Naguib, PhD, Rachel Piper, MSW, and Cheryl McNeil, PhD
Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505

Presentation Category: Social & Behavioral Sciences (Poster presentation)

Student’s Major: Psychology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1 in 54 children across the country (CDC, 2020). Among children with ASD, 25% have a comorbid disruptive behavior disorder (Kaat & Lecavilier, 2013). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an evidence-based treatment that aims to reduce disruptive behaviors in young children by improving the caregiver-child relationship and increasing child compliance (McNeil & Hembree-Kigin, 2010). Although originally designed to treat children with disruptive behavior disorders, PCIT has demonstrated effectiveness in treating a number of emotional and behavioral issues (Lieneman et al., 2017). In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence that supports the use of PCIT with children on the autism spectrum (Masse et al., 2016). The current study seeks to contribute to the extant literature on PCIT for children with ASD by examining pre-post changes in parenting skills and child behavior among a community-based sample. The study sample consisted of 10 parents and their children, all of whom had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and were referred to a community-based clinic for PCIT. Parenting skills, coded using the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (Eyberg et al., 2013) and parent-reported child disruptive behavior on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI; Eyberg & Pincus, 1999) were measured at pre-treatment and post-treatment. Paired t-tests will be used to examine pre-post differences in parenting skills and disruptive behavior, and implications for treatment of disruptive behaviors in children with ASD will be discussed.

Funding: Not funded

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