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Stepping Stones Triple P: An RCT of a Parenting Program with Parents of a Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

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An Erratum to this article was published on 29 August 2014

Abstract

Whilst the Triple P Positive Parenting Program has a large evidence base (Sanders, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review 2:71–90, 1999; Sanders, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 68:624–640, 2000) and preliminary evidence indicates that Stepping Stones Triple P is also efficacious (Roberts, Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(2):180–193, 2006), to date Stepping Stones has not been evaluated with the ASD population. Fifty-nine families with a child with ASD aged between 2 and 9 participated in this randomized controlled trial. The results demonstrate significant improvements in parental reports of child behaviour and parenting styles with the treatment effects for child behaviour, parental over reactivity and parental verbosity being maintained at follow-up 6 months later. Further, the results suggest significant improvements in parental satisfaction and conflict about parenting as well as a sleeper effect for parental efficacy. The results indicate that Stepping Stones Triple P is a promising intervention for parents of children with ASD. Limitations and future research are also addressed.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a small grant from the School of Psychology, The University of Queensland. We would like to acknowledge the participation of the parents who took part in the study and the clinical interns who helped to conduct the program.

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Correspondence to Kate Sofronoff.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9927-0.

Appendices

Appendix A

see table 5

Table 5 Stepping Stones Triple P Content

Appendix B. Gillberg Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger syndrome

Gillberg Criteria for Asperger syndrome

  1. 1.

    Social impairment (extreme egocentricity) (at least two of the following):

    • Difficulties interacting with peers

    • Indifference to peer contacts

    • Difficulties interpreting social cues

    • Socially and emotionally inappropriate behaviour

  2. 2.

    Narrow interest (at least one of the following):

    • Exclusion of other activities

    • Repetitive adherence

    • More rote than meaning

  3. 3.

    Compulsive need for introducing routine and interests (at least one of the following):

    • Which affect the individual’s every aspect of everyday life

    • Which affect others

  4. 4.

    Speech and language peculiarities (at least three of the following):

    • Delayed speech development

    • Superficially perfect expressive language

    • Formal pedantic language

    • Odd prosody, peculiar voice characteristics

    • Impairment of comprehension including misinterpretations of literal/implied meanings

  5. 5.

    Non-verbal communication problems (at least one of the following):

    • Limited use of gestures

    • Clumsy/gauche body language

    • Limited facial expression

    • Inappropriate facial expression

    • Peculiar, stiff gaze

  6. 6.

    Motor clumsiness:

    • Poor performance in neurodevelopmental test

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Whittingham, K., Sofronoff, K., Sheffield, J. et al. Stepping Stones Triple P: An RCT of a Parenting Program with Parents of a Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Abnorm Child Psychol 37, 469–480 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9285-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9285-x

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