An Investigation of the Effect of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy on Symptoms Related to Social Interaction Dimensions of Autism


ULAS S.

Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, cilt.23, sa.3, ss.1361-1375, 2023 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

Özet

Autism is a disorder that includes a variety of symptoms related to social interaction, communication, and limited sets of interests. It has been clearly stated in the literature that children experience various compliance and behavioral problems due to these symptoms. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), which has just been validated for Turkish culture, on a 67-month-old girl with an autism diagnosis and behavioral problems. PCIT, which takes the interaction between the parent and the child with play therapy techniques, is a parent-mediated early intervention approach, not therapist-oriented. In addition to behavioral and compliance problems, this study aimed to determine whether PCIT, an interaction-based approach, has any effect on social interaction symptoms, one of the clusters of autism symptoms. Based on this aim, the study was conducted in accordance with a case report. In this study, the Eyberg Child Behavior Scale (ECBI) and Child Behavior Weekly Assessment Tool (WACB-P) in the PCIT were used to assess behavioral and compliance problems, while the Social Communication Checklist-Revised Form (SILKOL-R-OTV) was used to determine the effect on autism symptoms. Ethics committee approval was obtained during the study process and the consent of the participants was obtained with an informed consent form. The DPICS coding form was used for observation data. The results showed that PCIT was effective in improving social participation, communication, imitation, and play skills, as well as compliance and behavioral problems in children diagnosed with atypical autism. The obtained results were discussed in the light of the literature, and suggestions were presented to the researchers.