Adapting Pivotal Response Treatment to Support the Families of High-Risk Infants

Abstract

Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment model for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. This chapter will detail the development of PRT and introduce the basic behavioral and motivational strategies used to enhance social engagement, language, and play for young children with ASD. PRT has traditionally relied upon “parent training” or “parent education” as an integral component of intervention, and research studies focused on the parent-training components of PRT will be described. We also provide a rationale for earlier intervention to improve prognosis and enhance developmental gains for individuals with ASD. Thus, this chapter will address the justification and methods for adapting PRT for families of high-risk infants under 24 months of age and describe how a naturalistic, developmental, behavioral approach that targets social motivation is ideally suited for infant intervention. Preliminary research presented here suggests that the motivational strategies of PRT can be effective for improving social engagement and social communication for infants within the first two years of life.