(PS2-63) Impact of Behavioral Parent Training on Self-Efficacy in Autism Caregivers

Abstract Text: Research shows that parents of autistic children experience greater caregiving demands and lower parental self-efficacy (PSE) than parents with typically developing children (Brennan, 2024). While PSE has been examined in families of typically developing children, there is limited research on how parents of children with autism can foster greater PSE. This study examines changes in PSE among parents of children with autism after receiving either behavioral parent training combined with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (BPT-M) or Psychoeducation (BPT-E). Participants were 126 parents of children, ages 3-5 years, with autism (68.3% Hispanic/Latino). PSE was measured using the Parenting Task Checklist (Sanders & Woolley, 2005). Preliminary analyses showed no significant baseline differences in PTC between intervention groups (BPT-M=68.00, BPT-E=64.67; p = .392). Post-intervention, the BPT-M group reported significantly higher PTC than the BPT-E group (BPT-M=72.43, BPT-E=62.62; t(76) = -2.313, p = .023). No significant intervention group differences were found at the 6-month (BPT-M=72.76, BPT-E=67.11; p = .161). At 12-month (BPT-M=74.06, BPT-E=66.19; t(81) = 1.78, p = .079) and 24 months post-intervention (BPT-M=79.5 BPT-E=71.24; t(81) = 1.922, p = .058), intervention group differences were approaching significance. No significant difference was present at 31 months post-intervention (BPT-M=80.21, BPT-E=73.1; p = .115); however, 37 months post-intervention, the BPT-M group had significantly higher PTC than the PE group (BPT-M=86.50, BPT-E=77.14; t(46) = -2.057, p = .045). Overall, PSE increased over time in the BPT-M group relative to the BPT-E group. While not significant at every time point, significant differences consistently favored BPT-M intervention. These findings support utilizing BPT-M as an approach to enhance PSE in parents of children with autism. Future multilevel model analysis may further clarify changes in PSE over time.