THE EFFECT OF PARENT-MEDIATED INTERVENTION ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Received 2023-07-07; Accepted 2023-09-22; Published 2023-09-23

Abstract

Parent-Mediated Intervention (PMI) is a promising approach to improving children’s social-emotional skills with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, its implementation in Malaysia is still in its infancy. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of PMI in improving social-emotional skills in children with ASD using a quasiexperimental pre-post design. A total of 30 participants aged between 2.5 and 7 years diagnosed with ASD were recruited from Putrajaya and Sarawak Heart Centre. PMI was delivered bimonthly for the first three months and once monthly for the next three months along with a small parent support group based on Greenspan and Wieder’s Developmental, Individual differences, and Relationship-based (DIR) theoretical framework. The Functional Emotional
Assessment Scale (FEAS) was the primary outcome measure. Results showed a statistically significant mean difference with a large effect size in functional emotion (F (1.613, 46.767) = 80.483, p < 0.001), indicating that PMI improved the social-emotional skills of children with ASD. These findings highlight the potential benefits of parent partnership within occupational therapy and suggest a trend towards top-down approaches in promoting positive outcomes in children with ASD in Malaysia. This is a pilot study before a larger scale and controlled trial is undertaken in Malaysia. Overall, the results emphasise the importance of implementing evidence-based interventions, such as PMI, to improve the social-emotional skills of children with ASD.