Effects of Parent-Led Imitation Interventions for Children with Autism: A Systematic Review
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Abstract
Objective – Imitation skills are often delayed or absent in children with autism (CA). Many studies have examined methods that have increased these skills in CA. This review examined the efficacy of parent-led imitation interventions for CA. Methods – Databases searched included Cochrane, CINAHL, EBSCO, ERIC and PubMed. Methods and results were carefully analyzed for the six studies that met this inclusion criteria: 1) Intervention was implemented by parents; 2) CA were aged 2 – 6 years; 3) children and parents’ outcomes were noted. Results – All six studies reported benefits for both parents and children, though there were noticeable differences in intervention methods. Improvement in the CA’s verbalization, behavior, and imitation skills were noted. Decreased stress and increased competence were reported by the parents. Conclusion – Data from this review suggested that parents learned and implemented interventions that positively impacted the imitation skills of CA and their parents.
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Creative Arts and Research Symposium