Peer-reviewed article
Theory of Change of Caregiver Coaching for an Early Parent-Mediated Autism Intervention.
Kyle M Frost, Brooke Ingersoll ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study developed a Theory of Change to understand how caregiver coaching works in parent-mediated autism interventions for young children. Researchers interviewed intervention experts, community providers, and caregivers about their experiences with Project ImPACT. The study identified two key mechanistic processes—learning and motivation—through which caregiver coaching leads to better outcomes for caregivers, families, and children. The findings aim to guide future empirical research testing how parent-mediated interventions for autistic children actually work.
Key points
- Two mechanistic processes identified: learning processes and motivational processes that contribute to caregiver implementation of intervention
- Outcomes extend beyond child development to include caregiver sustainment, quality of life, advocacy, and goals and expectations
- Study incorporated perspectives from 10 intervention experts, 22 community providers, and 12 caregivers
- Service need and contextual fit were identified as important contextual factors influencing the theory of change
- Findings are intended to guide future empirical research rather than to directly test intervention effectiveness
Limitations
This is a theory development study based on qualitative interviews, not an evaluation of intervention effectiveness. The document does not specify which countries the study was conducted in, nor does it provide empirical evidence about whether the intervention actually improves outcomes for autistic children or their families.
Abstract
The goal of this study was to develop a comprehensive Theory of Change of caregiver coaching processes for an early social communication intervention for young autistic children, with attention to the caregiver learning process and a full constellation of outcomes for the caregiver and family unit. We interviewed intervention experts (n = 10), community providers (n = 22), and caregivers (n = 12) about their knowledge and experiences with a parent-mediated intervention (Project ImPACT), guided by the Theory of Change Framework. Qualitative interviews were transcribed and coded using the Framework Method and causation coding. We developed a comprehensive causal model which describes how both learning and motivational processes contribute to caregivers' implementation of the intervention, as well as broader outcomes with regard to sustainment, quality of life, advocacy, and goals and expectations. We also identified aspects of service need and contextual fit which inform the broader context for our theory of change. This study identified two mechanistic processes by which caregiver coaching impacts relevant short- and long-term caregiver and family outcomes, informed by practice-based knowledge. In the future, these findings can be used to guide empirical research that directly tests the mechanistic processes underlying effective parent-mediated interventions for young autistic children.