Date Submitted
5-14-2025
Faculty Advisor
Nichmarie Soto Bonilla
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that results in language deficits, social communication challenges, and sensory/repetitive behaviors. Those with ASD may struggle with communication, social situations, and daily tasks. Being diagnosed with autism can have lifelong implications for children and their families, often requiring lifelong therapeutic services. This demand can cause significant stress on the family and lead to parents needing significant assistance on how to manage behaviors. The purpose of the current study was to understand the training needs of parents whose children attend an ABA center. Parents were asked to answer five questions centered around parental stress and training needs. The current study found that parents report significantly higher levels of stress and have to provide constant care for their children. Parents reported feeling alone and reported a number of skills they would like their child to improve on including communication, adaptive behaviors, and social skills. Parents indicated the need for more generalized training where they could be included in their child’s care. This study showed a clear need for more communication between professionals and families and a need for parental support services that provide specific skill training for families within the natural environment. Future interventions should be developed to provide care in naturalized settings, allowing parents to learn directly through observation or real-time practice with their children and their child’s providers.
