Brief report: Caregiver perceptions of autism practices

Abstract

BackgroundUnsubstantiated practices continue to be viewed as viable options by caregivers, despite the existence of evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to better understand factors that influence caregivers’ acceptance of various practices for their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). MethodsPrimary aims were addressed using survey methodology. Caregivers of children with ASD (N = 75) read texts describing eight practices for intervening or treating aspects of ASD: four evidence-based practices (EBP) and four unsubstantiated practices. The text presentation was based on a 2 × 2 within-subjects factorial design with practice status (EBP or unsubstantiated) and source credibility (credible or non-credible) as the independent variables. For each text, caregivers reported on their familiarity with the practice and the extent to which they approve of the practice described. ResultsCaregivers were more familiar with unsubstantiated practices than with EBPs but reported higher approval of EBPs. The main effect of source credibility on caregiver approval ratings was not significant. A significant interaction was observed between practice status and source credibility. Caregivers were more likely to approve of unsubstantiated practices endorsed by credible sources and, similarly, of EBPs endorsed by non-credible sources. ConclusionUnderstanding how caregivers perceive of ASD practices is the first step in developing trainings aimed at teaching them to be savvy consumers of autism information. These are preliminary findings based on a probabilistic sample. Readers are cautioned about applying these findings to the broader caregiver population. Future research directions are discussed.