F.. DOCOMEN'T RESUME ED 175 186 EC 120 0A1 AUTHOR Rosenfeld, Anne H. Trur Parents as Cotherapists With-Autistic Parent-Child Program" Series, Report.No. 3. INSTITOTION North-Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. SPO.N.S AGENCY National Inst. of mental Health (DHEW), Rockville, '1 Md. Center for Studies of Child.and Family Mental Health). POB DATE 78 CONTRA.CT" TOP.LD-13691-76 GRANT MH-15539 c, _NOTE 15p.: For related information, see EC 20 39-043 AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (Stock No. 017-024-00840-1) . EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Pl.us Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Autism: Child Development: Clinical Diagnosi,s; *Home Programs: Parent Child Relationship; Parent Education: *Parent Participation; *Prescirl Progra.As: *Psychotherapy 19.8NTIFIE1S *Child-Research Project Part.of a series on early childhood demonstration programs desccined to improve early Parent-child relationships, stimulate positive child dbvelOpment, and prevent later behavior difficulties, the pamphlet describes the Child Research Prolect at the University of North Carolina, in which parents were trained to act as cot,korapi.sts with their autistic children. On the basis of t diaguosticlipvaluation, professional staff devised an indilridutlised treatmeit%pr9gtam plan consisting of outpatient sychothiftapy at tlre treatment center and the training of parents tocOntinue t(heth:erapy with the child at home. The rationade for this parent pafficipation is presented, anh the diagnosis and assessment aspects of the program are discussed. Also reviewed-er-e both-the clinical and home treament components, parent group meetings, program staffing, and special / facilities,and resources.,P m graduates were found to retain man benepits,-though the rate 'and,t e ofprAress of indiVidual childre depahded, in part, on the severi y of their initial biological handicaps. Many showed sufficient lessening of their psychotic ivmptoms to attend school, though they retained some minor behavioral probles; and some showed dramatic gains in intellectual functioning. (DtS) * Reproductions suppliet by EDRS are the be.st that can be made ' from tbe original document*. *********************************************************************** N:nookrtinmtute ot Pamnt-Child ?Nonfat 1-loltth PnagramSeries Report No 3' I. Parents .asCotherais s With Atjfj Childrien v s osiroustmotcrop MIA Th.l. j110.0%., 110UCATION I. WILPAII NATIONAL INSTITUTt0 104CATION THIS 00(l/MENTHAS BEEN ITIFPRO- tOLI( ED I)TA(TTYAS RE(Fivile FROM Ikir Pe RION ORORGANI1ATto ORIGhN- VIEW ORPINIONS ATING IT POINTS OT RIIPRe STATED 00 NOT NET.IESSARIL. NATIONAL MST TUVEOf SINT Of FKIAL OB P01.1( y tOUCATION POSITION 1' DEPARTMENT Publi9 Health EALT111 EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Alcohol, Drug Abuse. 'Sery,Ice and Mentalealth Administration Act. 4 4 . '4,3arent-Chil rogram Series Ftoport No. 3' Papentsas COtherapietsWith.Autis* Children . NIMH-Grarrt: MH 15539 Eric Schopler '. .Program Developers:. \ . Robert J. Reichier f i . , . University of North Carolina atChapel Hill . S pone orihg institution: .Chapel Hill, North Carolina s 4. , Anne H.Rosenfeld Science Writer: ( , Contract No. TOPLD--13691,78 ) Prom the National inatituteLotMekal .,,.iHealth ,-/ A. Center for Studies ofChild and Family MentalHealth .; Mental Health . Natipal inst.ttute of it . N 5800ishers Lane Rockville, Maryland 20857 .\ w ( DOcuments, U.S. Government PrintingOffice For setby the Superintendent of Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock Number 017-024-00840-I Preface \ Families and Professionals as Partnets pamphletsrepresent an effort on the part of the Center for Stdies of Child and Family Mental H alth, National institute of MentalHealth, to ;rake visible Successfu mvivels of programs whichenable families to play an im ortant çl4in improving child mentalhealth. Each painphlet de- scr bes a pr ctical pr)ogram that can be adaOted to local community% nes: The present Parent-Child Program Series of five pamphlets (c lescribes demonstration programs involving Oungchildren from Wancy through preschool. Thegeperal goals of the series inclUde improving early parent-child rola ionships,stimulating positive -social-emotionaldevelopsrnent,aridpreventinglater behavior ,difficulties. This reflects Qv. penter's goalof, encouraging the, utilizeion of recenti Ailit earch-ftriilings by`service providerclOin families lo h p improve child fnental health in.thefrcommunitie Joy Eit Schulterbrandt Chief Center for Studies of Child aril. Family ) Mental Health I bf -^ PARENT-CHILD PROGRAM SERIES Introduction Our Nation's children are a precious bLkt often underdeveloped natural resource. Since the 1960's, social conscitmco andnew sci- entifit insights have converged to spark exploration and dernonstra'- tion of many new ways to enhance the early years of childhood. Spurred by child development researGh that marked the preschool years as the cornerstone for subsequent cognitive and emotional dekeloprrient, a nUmber of action and evaluation programs have begun wilh Federal funding to discover effective ways to stimulate psychological growth in infanfiand young children. Although many of these programs have been geared toward children from poverty baCkgrounds, they Gan help in better develOpment, for all children. Head Start, Follow Through, and Sesame Street are atnong the most famous of theist large-scale programs. Less familiar, perhaps, has -been another line of expiration; although more modest in scoee, it is comparable in developmental impact: educating parents to work and play with their young chil- dren so that their youngsters may grow as thinking, feeling individuals. Many of the programs have been sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, which has long recognized that starting' children.pt a 'very early age on the right developmental foOting.ma\e prevtiont later emoliepal and intellectual problems. More fhana decade of oxperiment and stUdY has yielded a wetitth of parent-involved Programs for early childhood enrichment. Their efficacy is well documented. They workand they can wbrk in new settings and communities as well. The qeestion now is: Will'we let them work?' Are ther*peoPle_who care enough about children in their Own communitits to carry these prdgrams forward? We-havO made great strides as a Nation providing bet,ter opportunities for -IVchildren to grow up* physidally healthy. But, for all too cearry preschoolers, Clitical formativti years are passing without the stimulationAnd guidan6e requixed for healthy emotional and,inental developrnent. As innumerable experimental programs have $hown, kparents can beeome eager and able teachers of their Infants 'and children once they, have* learned how to translate their caring into skills and Sttitudes that ilLivally help their children to develop. Many parents tend to underestimate their young children's abilities because they do not know how to bring them out into the open.. 1 5. -Tr Good parenting does. not Come automatitaltywith the birth of a child01 oven many childroh It is a skillfulactivity that, for many. takes.sorrie tiaining. How to provide that tiaining-in a number of different settings and for somewhat differentchildronis the subject of thiqeries of pamphlets. ror The approaches to parent training reportedhere grewtutof research-demonstration programa supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. Having oomonstiated thoufeasibility.and worth, those approaches are now rvady for use whereverthere are communities willing to make amoKest invostment,that may pay big, long-range dividendsfor their 'children. The specific training programs are for the most part relativelysimple and inexpensive to 14.1 imPlement, and they are likely toffercich rewards not only totlie cydren but to their parents asell. Because the skills parents acquire ,are easy to transmit, these programspotentially have a snowball effect: each parent trained may transmit skillsto other chil- dren and parents Once a prograM has beenestablished recruit- spread the word to. ment is often unnecessary.Enthusiastic parents others. Over and over these programs have metwith great parent support beoause they provide them with thedeeplygratifying ability to help their children make visible progressat home, and later at schooloften far .more than parents thought possible. This report provides an overview of one approachto parent Atraining, but only Its highlights. More detailed.informatiOn is avail- able. We will describe the program as it wascarried out in its original setfIng as a research-demonstration project, but, as youwill see, many variations on the theme are possible,depending on local com- munity heeds and resources. Parent training programs are no panaceas. Butthey represent neediard ways to start young children on the rightdevelcipmental pathstimulating their curiosity, rewardingtheir explorations and little triumphs, guiding mind, hand, and eye,indeed the whole 'Child, toward greater understanding, confidence, aridcompetence. Both parents and their young children canlearn a form of communication that enriches and delights. .. 6 2 w Nig Parents as Cotherapists With Autistic)Chliciren''--- In almost eve`ry community in our country there aeo very young children who suffer from serious problems of communication and development. These youngsters may behave in quite,differentways', but they (Ixoke similar reactions of puzzlement, frustration, andguilt in their parents. In one4family, perhaps, a youngster is mute and imreactive, seemingly deaf, although hearing tests have proven normal