Autism Spectrum Conditions--enhancing Nurture and Development (ASCEND): an evaluation of intervention support groups for parents.

There is relatively little evidence about the effectiveness of parent-training programmes for children with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs). Here we evaluate a programme developed to fill a gap in the provision of parent interventions after EarlyBird, which is only available for parents of pre-school ASC children. This programme (ASCEND) has now been running for five years. Questionnaires were used to evaluate seven consecutive 11-session programmes from 2004 to 2007, involving 79 parents representing 58 children. We measured satisfaction ratings in all seven groups; the latter five groups (59 parents representing 44 children) were given Developmental Behaviour Checklists (DBCs) and parental knowledge questionnaires pre- and post-course. Eighty-eight per cent of respondents found the course useful or very useful while parental knowledge and skills improved significantly across a range of learning outcomes. DBC scores showed significant changes post-course for total problem behaviours and disruptive/antisocial behaviours, with a trend towards reductions in anxiety as reported by parents. Changes in behaviour scores moderately correlated with specific learning items relating to improved skills in behaviour management. This preliminary evaluation suggests that the course produces positive outcomes in terms of parent satisfaction, parent learning and perceived changes in child behaviour, although further independent analysis is required in the form of a randomized controlled trial.