Cultural Adaptation of Parent Training Intervention for Spanish-Speaking Families
Baylor University
Summary
Supporting young autistic children can sometimes be very stressful, especially when children show behaviors that are difficult to understand and/or manage in everyday life. Research has shown that teaching parents practical strategies through programs like the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) can reduce these behaviors and help parents feel more confident. However, most of these programs have only been studied with English-speaking families, which means Spanish-speaking caregivers often do not have access to support that feels relevant to their culture and language. This study will test a version of RUBI that has been adapted for Spanish-speaking families in the U.S. and Mexico. We will invite 100 parents of autistic children between the ages of 2 and 9 to take part. Half will start the program right away, while the other half will wait and receive it later. Parents in the program will join eight online group sessions, use a Spanish handbook at home, and practice strategies with support from trained facilitators. We will look at whether the program helps reduce children's challenging behaviors, lowers parent stress, and increases parents' confidence in managing behaviors. We will also ask parents to share their experiences and opinions about how well the program fits their culture and daily life. By combining numbers (surveys) and stories (interviews), this project will show whether the adapted program works well for Spanish-speaking families. The results can help make autism services more fair, accessible, and supportive for families from diverse backgrounds.
Description
Background and Rationale Challenging behaviors in young autistic children can negatively affect their quality of life and increase stress for caregivers. Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) programs, such as the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI), have demonstrated strong evidence for reducing child behavior difficulties and improving parenting outcomes. However, most studies have been conducted with White, English-speaking families, limiting generalizability to diverse communities. Spanish-speaking families in the United States and Mexico often experience limited access to cultural…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Caregiver of a child aged 2 to 9 years. * Caregiver of a child diagnosed with autism or suspected of being autistic. * Child exhibits challenging behaviors in naturalistic environments (e.g., home, school, community). * Caregiver is willing to complete all aspects of the study, including assessments and intervention sessions. * Caregiver has access to electronic resources (e.g., high-speed internet and a device capable of participating in Zoom sessions). * Caregiver is fluent in Spanish (speaks and understands Spanish sufficiently to participate in the intervention and a…
Interventions
- BehavioralAdapted RUBI-Telehealth
The Adapted RUBI Parent Training is a culturally tailored version of the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) program, designed for Spanish-speaking caregivers of young autistic children. The intervention consists of 8 weekly sessions delivered virtually in Spanish by trained behavioral therapists. Each session incorporates behavioral skills training methods (instruction, modeling, role-play, and feedback). Caregivers use a Spanish-language RUBI handbook to complete weekly home practice activities and receive feedback during sessions. The program focuses on helping caregivers understand the functions of challenging behavior and apply evidence-based strategies to reduce these behaviors and promote positive child outcomes.
Location
- Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas