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Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging, particularly for parents who do not have easy access to psychological treatment. This book presents parent training as a unique approach that is accessible and one of the most promising methods for promoting long-term behavioral improvements in children with ASD. Backed by decades of research, parent training is a psychotherapeutic technique in which clinicians teach parents effective parenting skills and behaviors, so that parents are the main drivers of change for their children. This clinical guide shows practitioners how to apply this approach with caregivers of children with ASD. Readers will learn strategies for implementing various assessment and intervention techniques and for maintaining parental engagement throughout treatment. Individual chapters focus on the most common issues confronting parents of children with ASD, including social and communication deficits; disruptive behaviors; sleep disturbances; wandering tendencies; and key life skills, like feeding and toileting. Vivid case examples illustrate how the techniques can be applied in realistic scenarios. Following an introduction by Cynthia R. Johnson, Eric M. Butter, and Lawrence Scahill, the following chapters are included: (1) History and Theoretical Foundations of Parent Training (Karen Bearss); (2) Clinical Assessment of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Before and After Parent Training (Valentina Postorino and Lawrence Scahill); (3) Promoting Parent Engagement in Parent Training for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Rachel M. Fenning and Eric M. Butter); (4) Parent Training for Social Communication in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Stephanie Y. Shire and Tristram Smith); (5) Parent Training for Disruptive Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Karen Bearss, Luc Lecavalier, and Lawrence Scahill); (6) Parent Training for Sleep Disturbances in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Cynthia R. Johnson and Beth A. Malow); (7) Parent Training for Food Selectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (T. Lindsey Burrell, William Sharp, Cristina Whitehouse, and Cynthia R. Johnson); (8) Parent Training for Toileting in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Daniel W. Mruzek, Benjamin L. Handen, Courtney A. Aponte, Tristram Smith, and Richard M. Foxx); (9) Parent Training for Elopement in Autism Spectrum Disorder (Nathan A. Call, Mindy Scheithauer, Joanna Lomas Mevers, and Colin Muething); and (10) Conclusions and Future Directions (Lawrence Scahill and Eric M. Butter).

Impairment in social functioning is an associated feature of intellectual disabilities (ID) and the diagnosis of mental retardation (American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), and is also characteristic of many other developmental disabilities. The National Research Council's report on mental retardation and the eligibility requirements for social security benefits indicates social skills assessment as a priority (National Research Council, 2002). In particular, social skills deficits are vital to diagnosing individuals within the borderline and mild ranges of ID. For individuals whose cognitive abilities are within the borderline range, the degree of social skills impairment may often represent the difference between dependency and self-sufficiency. Therefore, interventions targeted at decreasing an individual's vulnerability through social skills development are critical components of any habilitation plan. This chapter reviews recent research on social skills deficits in children with ID, discusses selected studies of social skills training (SST), and identifies priorities for future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]