Acceptability and Outcomes of an Online Parent-Mediated Intervention for Young Autistic Children

The Social Communication Checklist-Revised (SCC-R) is a 70-item parent-report measure used to assess social communication abilities in young children. It includes four domains: Social Engagement, Expressive Communication, Receptive Communication, and Imitation/Play Skills. Items are rated on a three-point scale, with higher scores indicating better social communication abilities. Mothers and fathers independently completed the SCC-R for the same child at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Changes in the SCC-R total score and domain scores from baseline to post-intervention were evaluated, with an increase in scores indicating improvement in social communication skills.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-report measure used to assess parental psychological distress. It consists of three 7-item subscales assessing depression, anxiety, and stress. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale from 0 to 3. Subscale scores were multiplied by 2, resulting in possible scores ranging from 0 to 42 for each subscale and from 0 to 126 for the total score. Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress. Mothers and fathers independently completed the DASS-21 at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Changes in the DASS-21 total and subscale scores from baseline to post-intervention were evaluated separately for mothers and fathers.

Parent satisfaction with the intervention was assessed using a 13-item Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire administered immediately after completion of the intervention. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, resulting in a total score ranging from 13 to 65. Higher total scores indicate greater satisfaction with the intervention. The questionnaire assesses parents' perceptions of the usefulness and applicability of the intervention strategies, satisfaction with the program and their child's progress, perceived improvements in their child's social communication and developmental skills, increased confidence in supporting their child, and overall satisfaction with the intervention. Mothers and fathers completed the questionnaire independently.

The Social Communication Checklist-Revised (SCC-R) is a 70-item parent-report measure used to assess social communication abilities in young children. It includes four domains: Social Engagement, Expressive Communication, Receptive Communication, and Imitation/Play Skills. Items are rated on a three-point scale, with higher scores indicating better social communication abilities. Mothers and fathers independently completed the SCC-R for the same child. Maternal and paternal SCC-R total scores were compared at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Agreement between maternal and paternal SCC-R ratings was also evaluated.

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-report measure assessing depression, anxiety, and stress. It consists of three 7-item subscales. Each item is rated from 0 to 3, and subscale scores were multiplied by 2. Each subscale therefore ranges from 0 to 42, and the total score ranges from 0 to 126. Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress. Mothers and fathers independently completed the DASS-21. Maternal and paternal DASS-21 total scores were compared at baseline and immediately after the intervention.

Parent satisfaction with the intervention was assessed using a 13-item Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, resulting in a total score ranging from 13 to 65. Higher total scores indicate greater satisfaction with the intervention. Mothers and fathers independently completed the questionnaire immediately after the intervention. Maternal and paternal total satisfaction scores were compared.

Parent satisfaction with the intervention was assessed using a 13-item Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire administered immediately after completion of the intervention. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, resulting in a total score ranging from 13 to 65, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with the intervention. Factors associated with the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire total score were examined using hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis. Child age, child sex, and weekly hours of outside educational intervention were entered in the first block as demographic and clinical variables. Baseline parental psychological distress, assessed using the DASS-21 total score, and change in children's social communication, assessed using the SCC-R total score from baseline to post-intervention, were entered in the second block to examine their additional contribution to parent satisfaction.