Evaluating an Asynchronous Training Program for Latin American Parents of Autistic Children

The present pilot study evaluated the effects of an asynchronous parent training program on reducing parenting stress, enhancing knowledge acquisition, and improving children's problem behaviors among Latin American parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifteen parents were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a waitlist control group. The intervention group accessed five bi-weekly modules covering autism, behavioral principles, prevention strategies, functional communication, and naturalistic teaching. Pretest and posttest assessments of parenting stress and child problem behaviors were administered, along with quizzes to measure knowledge acquisition. Results showed that participants in the intervention group demonstrated reductions in parenting stress and improvements in children's problem behaviors, though not statistically significant between-group differences were found. Individual-level analyses revealed reliable improvement for several participants in the intervention group, while others exhibited mixed patterns of change across outcome measures. Significant positive correlations were observed between parent-reported child behavior problems and parenting stress at both time points. Quiz results indicated knowledge gains in the intervention group, particularly in behavioral principles and communication. These findings suggest asynchronous interventions may offer benefits but highlight the need for additional support and larger studies to enhance effectiveness and generalizability.