Focus on implementation: Parent-mediated early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

The commentaries in this section refer to the review, Oono IP, Honey EJ, McConachie H. Parent-mediated early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD009774. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009774.pub2.

Editor's note: Parents of children with autism often have a complicated life. In some cases, because of their child's behavior, they cannot take them to a restaurant or to a movie, let alone on a vacation. Finding child-care may be impossible. Some children with autism appear to be unhappy much of the time. Most parents would fly to the moon if that would make their child better, but it is our responsibility as clinicians to only assign parents tasks that are likely to benefit their child. In their commentaries, Professors Jacqueline Roberts and Cheryl Dissanayake provide their opinions on the fine art of balancing what we ask parents of autistic children to do.