UCSB KOEGEL AUTISM CENTER:
REMOTE (PARENT EDUCATION) PROGRAM
Summary of Program
The week-long program is an intensive parent education program that introduces
parents to the motivational procedures of Pivotal Response Training. The focus of the
program is individualized to meet each child’s unique communication, social, and
behavioral needs. Families meet with clinicians each day, for a total of 5 days.
Setting
Parent education sessions will be conducted in clinic session rooms at the
Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The play rooms will
contain a table, chairs, video camera, and a variety of toys and games. Additional
sessions will be conducted in nearby community settings such as at restaurants, parks,
and camps. The specific ratio of time spent in the various settings will be individualized
depending on the child’s interests, family characteristics and other environmental
factors.
Pre-intervention and follow-up sessions will be conducted in each child’s home
(via videotape observations) while the child is interacting with his or her primary
caregiver (and may include other family members). These observations will include
interactions that are typical or representative of those between the child and the
parent(s) (i.e. mealtime, play time, etc.) and will take place in the families’ homes.
Additional sessions with the child and other adults who are key social agents in the
child’s life may also be included.
Clinicians. Clinicians all hold masters or doctoral degrees in Educational
Psychology and/or Counseling, Clinical, or School Psychology. Clinicians all have
extensive experience working with children with autism and providing behavioral
interventions to families. In addition, the clinical supervisor (a licensed speech
pathologist with a Ph.D. in psychology) will observe and attend sessions to provide
additional consultation and feedback.
Intervention - Parent Education Program. For each family, the primary caregiver,
the child, and the parent educator will be present during all sessions. Other family (i.e.,
parents, grandparents) and educational team (i.e., speech therapist, school specialist)
members are invited to be present during the sessions as well. Intervention sessions
will take place for 5 hours per day over 5 consecutive days, for a total of twenty-five
hours.
The intervention program will begin with an informal introduction and meeting
between the parents and parent educator to observe the interactions of the child,
discuss target behaviors, and become familiar with the family. Following this brief initial
meeting, the parents will be provided with a copy of Pivotal Response Treatment®:
Using Motivation as a Pivotal Response by Lynn Kern Koegel, PhD, which describes
specific techniques of Pivotal Response Treatment. The specific motivational techniques
described in the manual will be introduced to the parents as they relate to their child.
These include the following components: (a) The parent provides a clear, uninterrupted,
instruction to their child while maintaining his/her attention. (b) The instructions that the
parent/caregiver provides are varied frequently and maintenance tasks (tasks that the
child has already mastered) are interspersed with acquisition tasks (targeted skills). (c)
The child has significant input in the selection of the activities. (d) Rewards are functional
and are administered immediately and contingently following the child’s behavior. (e)
Reinforcers are directly related to the child’s response. (f) Reinforcers are administered
to the child following clear attempts as well as correct responses. All target behaviors
will be individualized based on the child’s needs.
Each day during the program, the primary caregiver (and possible other
attendees) will receive continuous feedback from the clinician during interactions with
their child. Throughout the sessions, the parents and others may be provided with
additional materials such as research articles, book chapters, or manuals that may assist
them in working with their child. These materials will be recommended based on the
unique needs of the child. There is a nominal fee for these materials.
On the final day of the program, there will be a meeting to discuss and review the
techniques presented as they applied directly to the work with the child. Additionally,
recommendations for the child’s educational program will be provided.
Follow-up contact. Each family will receive a report summarizing the program as
the techniques were applied. Additional educational and behavioral recommendations
may also be included depending on the needs of the child. Families will then send
follow-up videotapes of the child interacting with the primary caregiver (and possible
other adults or family members) in their home, school, or community environment.
Families will also be encouraged to maintain contact via email, telephone or mail.
Feedback will be provided to the families based on the videos and other information
provided and additional recommendations may be made at any time.
Fees. The week-long remote program costs a total of $3,500.00. A deposit of
$1,500.00 dollars is due a month prior to participation. The remaining fees are due at the
end of the week of intervention. All payments should be addressed to UC Regents.