Developing and Refining a Parent Training to Improve Outcomes for African American Children with Autism

Through a series of four phases, the PI will (1) develop the FACES Facilitator Training for community-based parent educators, (2) refine the existing FACES intervention content, (3) assess the feasibility of the FACES training, and (4) determine the promise of the full FACES intervention. In Phase 1, the PI will analyze records from two large parent training providers, the Exceptional Children's Assistant Center and the Autism Society of North Carolina, to explore their scope of reach, the demographics of families they serve, and the types of services and supports requested by families. A focus group with parent educators will also be held to better understand their practices and knowledge of ASD-related strategies and resources. In Phase 2, the PI will refine the FACES intervention content and develop the FACES Facilitator Training based on the findings from Phase 1. The PI will also obtain feedback on the training materials and procedures from an advisory board of expert researchers and African American parents of children with ASD. In Phase 3, the PI will field test the FACES Facilitator Training to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and impact on parent educators' implementation fidelity. The field test will involve a single-case design and semi-structured interviews with parent educators and parents. The FACES Facilitator Training will be revised based on findings from the field test. In Phase 4, the PI will conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and promise of the fully developed FACES program for improving parent educators' fidelity and outcomes for African American parents (knowledge of ASD resources and evidence-based strategies, stress, and empowerment), and their children with ASD (behavior and communication). In addition, the PI will determine the costs associated with implementing FACES.