UC Santa Barbara

Due to Covid-19, there have been extreme changes to the educational landscape for students.These changes to instruction not only impacted children, but their parents as well as they took on greater responsibilities for instruction. This presented challenges for many students, but particularly for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Reaction to these changes and the format of remote learning resulted in resistance to engage with remote learning, presenting difficulties for both student and parent. However, these challenges may be alleviated with appropriate parent support in motivational strategies to implement during remote learning. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, the current study sought to investigate whether coaching in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Growth Mindset delivered in a remote format would result in positive outcomes for students and their parents. Participants included 3 parent-student dyads. Parents were provided with education and feedback in implementing motivational strategies for remote learning. Results indicated positive outcomes for both students (increased engagement, decreased maladaptive behavior) and parents (competent implementation of motivational strategies; decreased stress). Additionally, parents reported the coaching and remote format to be socially valid. This research may help to better understand how online formats can be used to support parents during times where they are unable to access in-person resources. Additionally, this study may illuminate further ways that PRT and Growth Mindset can be applied to motivate and increase engagement for students with ASD.