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Hanen Parent Training for

Young Children at Risk for Autism

Vanderbilt professors Wendy Stone and Paul Yoder are conducting a multi-site study designed to examine the benefits of a parent training intervention for improving social and communication skills in young children at risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

We are looking for children between 15 and 24 months of age who are at risk for ASD. Children considered to be “at risk” are those: (1) who have failed a routine autism screening; (2) who have delays in social and communication development; (3) have an older sibling with ASD; or (4) whose parents or service providers have expressed concerns about ASD.

To qualify for this intervention study, parents must bring their children to Vanderbilt for a one-hour eligibility visit. Eligible families will be randomly assigned to a treatment group or a non-treatment group. The treatment group will participate in the Hanen More Than Words parent training program, provided by a speech-language pathologist.

Families in the treatment group will participate in a group orientation session and a home visit from the therapist, followed by 8 weekly small group sessions at Vanderbilt and 3 in-home sessions. Families in the non-treatment group will receive no intervention through this study. Both groups are free to continue their participation in any community-based intervention in which they are involved, and will receive three assessments during the course of the 9-month study.

This study is funded by Autism Speaks and is also being conducted at the University of Miami and the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Compensation will be provided to families in both groups for their time.

For more information contact MTW Research Coordinator at (615) 343-7101 or by email at MoreThanWords@vanderbilt.edu.

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