Caregiver skills training for caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

There are more than 50 million children with developmental disorders, like autism, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disability. Identifying strategies for improving access to evidence-based treatments and therapies is a priority worldwide. This article completed a research review on training programs for caregivers of individuals with developmental disorders. The aim of the review was to see how effective programs that teach caregivers specific skills are for helping individuals with developmental disorders.

To complete our review, we looked at existing studies published through July 2021. We found 75 randomized controlled trials of caregiver training programs. These studies included 4746 individuals with developmental disorders and their caregivers. The studies were conducted across the world in higher-income countries, like the USA and Australia, as well as lower-income countries, like Türkiye and Vietnam. We found positive findings in all settings. By combining the results of these trials, we found that the programs were effective for both children and caregivers. Children benefitted by improvements in development and in a reduction of problem behavior. Caregivers benefitted from enhanced skills and psychological well-being. Improvements in interpersonal family relationships were also found.

Overall, the findings from the review suggest that training programs for caregivers of children with developmental disorders can be an effective treatment across a variety of settings. This treatment should be considered when developing plans for aiding children with developmental disorders worldwide.