UCLA

Approximately 25% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are minimally verbal (i.e. less than 20 functional words) at school entry (Anderson et al., 2007). Yet, literature examining social communication interventions for school-age children with ASD who are minimally verbal is limited (Lord et al., 2005). Twenty-two children with ASD age 5-8 with less than 20 words received a six-month social communication intervention including three-months of parent-training. Monthly 10-minute play interactions were coded for parents' implementation fidelity and children's time jointly engaged (Adamson et al., 2009). Parents mastered an average of 70% of the strategies with greatest gains in the first month. Critical gains in children's joint engagement were associated with parents' fidelity across time demonstrating parents' learning was relevant to children's gains.