The establishment of reciprocal friendships is a challenge for many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social interaction difficulties emerge early, persist throughout development, and have widespread functional impact. As such, interventions focused on social functioning are needed in early intervention programs. This two-part study…

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience challenges with social skill interactions that may affect their quality of life. Given that parents are often the most frequent and constant presence in their child's life, parents serve a vital role in their child's social and behavioral development. For this reason, children may…

Parent-implemented interventions (PIIs) hold promise for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Yet, reports of parent and family perceptions regarding PIIs are limited. The present study's purpose was to gain parent perceptions regarding the helpful and challenging intervention components and contextual factors in…

In this second of two primary papers, we examined moderators of treatment effects for younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders whose parents were taught to use a parent-implemented intervention called "Improving Parents As Communication Teachers". Investigators randomized 97 high-risk siblings and their primary parent…