Evaluating the effectiveness of a Portage program on reducing parenting stress and enhancing child development in autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests in early childhood and significantly impairs social and communicative functions. Parents of children with ASD typically experience higher levels of stress compared to parents of children with other disabilities or health issues. This study investigates how a home-based early intervention known as the Portage program influences parenting stress and improves family awareness by using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and Family Awareness Scale. We enrolled 41 children diagnosed with ASD and their parents in this study. The median age of the children was 4 years, with a predominance of males (80%). We measured changes in parenting stress and family awareness as primary outcomes, with the children’s behavior as a secondary outcome. Post-intervention assessments showed statistically significant improvements in parenting stress and family awareness (P < 0.001). Additionally, notable improvements were observed in the children’s social, language, self-help, cognitive, and motor skills, as well as general developmental age and ratio. A 3-month engagement with the Portage program markedly reduced stress among parents and increased family awareness regarding ASD. Significant advancements were also noted in multiple developmental domains of the children involved.