ImPACT Online

Description:

Project ImPACT is a  naturalistic developmental-behavorial, parent-mediated intervention for young children with ASD. Although the program is specifically designed for children with ASD, it may also be used for those who are experiencing developmental delays in communication skills. It is targeted for children with a spoken language age of about 6 months to 3 and a half years.

There are 12 self-directed lessons which take approximately 75-80 minutes to complete, with the entire program designed to be completed over the course of 3 months. Lessons include 6 learning activities which are to be completed in order. There are narrated slideshows introducing key concepts, video examples and video-based exercises, written manuals, self-check questions, homework and reflection questions.  Additional learning tools such as a video library with extended video examples, external resources on autism and a moderated forum are also available. There is also the option of receiving therapist assistance via web-based remote coaching. Parents are encouraged to complete one lesson per week and apply intervention techniques in real life with their child between lessons. Weekly emails sent to users provide tips for implementing intervention techniques along with a link to the program to encourage adherence.

Service URL:

https://psychology.psy.msu.edu/autismlab/impactonline/intro.aspx

Agency Responsible:

Michigan State University.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Other. developmental and naturalistic behavioral intervention techniques

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules). 12 modules

Support Option:

Automated only.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Target Audience:

Families. Parents of children with ASD

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Closed: Research participation. In order to register for this site, you must enter the access code provided by MSU Autism Research Lab and agree to participate in the research trial.

Contact Details:

impactOL@msu.edu

Research evidence

Research Trials:

2

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

Two research trials have evaluated the program's efficacy. Both trials tested a guided version of the program where parents received twice-weekly video conferencing sessions with a therapist against self-directed use among 28 families of a child with ASD between 19 and 73 months. Parents in both groups saw improvements in their child's social communication skills and improvements in their own self-efficacy and positive perceptions of their child during the course of the program. One study saw improvements in parental stress items (Cronbach’s alphas for stress items ranging from .86 to .92) as well as improved language measures for children in both groups. However, the therapist assisted group had greater gains in parent fidelity, positive perceptions of their child and language measures. Social skills were improved in therapist-guided group only. This suggests that the program may confer added benefits if used with the guidance of a therapist. 

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Ingersoll, B., Wainer, A. L., Berger, N. I., Pickard, K. E., & Bonter, N. (2016). Comparison of a Self-Directed and Therapist-Assisted Telehealth Parent-Mediated Intervention for Children with ASD: A Pilot RCT. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(7), 2275-2284. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2755-z

Pickard, K. E., Wainer, A. L., Bailey, K. M., & Ingersoll, B. R. (2016). A mixed-method evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth-based parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 20(7), 845-855. doi: 10.1177/1362361315614496

Additional References:

Ingersoll, B., & Berger, N. I. (2015). Parent Engagement With a Telehealth-Based Parent-Mediated Intervention Program for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictors of Program Use and Parent Outcomes. J Med Internet Res, 17(10), e227. doi: 10.2196/jmir.4913

Ingersoll, B., Shannon, K., Berger, N., Pickard, K., & Holtz, B. (2017). Self-Directed Telehealth Parent-Mediated Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Examination of the Potential Reach and Utilization in Community Settings. J Med Internet Res, 19(7), e248. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7484