Supporting parents of children with autism spectrum disorders to become informed consumers of evidence on speech pathology practice

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to help parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to become informed consumers of evidence for speech pathology services. The program comprised an interactive workshop and the provision of written materials aimed at increasing the participants' knowledge of evidence-based practice (EBP) principles and confidence discussing EBP with their children's speech pathologists. Using a repeated measures within-group design (pre/post) and mixed methods of analysis, the results indicate that the participants' knowledge and confidence increased following their participation in the program. Qualitative analysis revealed that parents differed with regard to which component (workshop or written information) was most helpful. The results provide preliminary evidence to support the further development and testing of intervention programs aimed at supporting parents of children with ASD to become informed consumers of evidence-based speech pathology services.