Telehealth and Direct Parent Training (DPT): A Strategy to Improve Healthcare Access and Outcomes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Direct Parent Training (DPT) programs combined with telehealth have gained recognition as a promising approach to improving outcomes for children with autism, offering accessible and flexible intervention options for families across diverse settings. This study employs a mixed-methods analysis, integrating both quantitative and qualitative evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention modality to improve outcomes. The analysis focuses on three core areas to assess the efficacy of telehealth and DPT as a combined delivery approach: 1. Comparative Effects: Examining the comparative effects of telehealth versus no intervention or standard care, and telehealth combined with Direct Parent Training (DPT). 2. Influencing Factors: Identifying specific factors and nuances related to children with autism, their families, and providers that impact intervention effectiveness. 3. Design and Implementation Standards: Establishing essential design and implementation standards for training modalities to optimize outcomes for both parents and children. Findings from this research highlights that fidelity—the degree to which the intervention is delivered as intended—is the single most critical factor in predicting and enhancing intervention outcomes when utilizing telehealth and DPT. This emphasis on fidelity suggests that consistent, high-quality implementation is essential to maximizing the potential of telehealth and DPT as a transformative tool for supporting children with autism and their families to improve outcomes.