'I wouldn't want one or the other': Understanding parents' preferences for direct support or parent coaching for young autistic children.

Abstract

Lay abstract: Professionals often support autistic children by working with them directly (direct support) or by coaching their parents. We know a lot about what parents think about parent coaching, but we do not know as much about what they think about direct support. We also do not know whether parents prefer parent coaching or direct support. The current study involved 22 parents who each received 2 h a week of direct support for their autistic child and up to 1 h a week of parent coaching for 6 months. At the end of 6 months, all these parents indicated in a survey whether they preferred parent coaching or direct support. Eleven of these participating parents also chose to take part in an interview to understand more about these preferences. Our findings suggest that parents generally liked both supports and believed they worked well together; however, they preferred direct support over parent coaching. While parents think that both approaches are beneficial, there are strengths and challenges of each. These findings emphasise the importance of parent choice in the delivery of support. It may also be possible to adapt both approaches to address some of the identified challenges and improve the whole family's experience.