Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) & Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has traditionally been thought of as a specific treatment method for children between the ages of 2-7 who exhibit symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders (e.g., Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder).Through research and clinical experience though, it has become evident that PCIT can also be highly effective for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

What is the connection between PCIT & ASD?
The ways in which PCIT may be effective for this population may not easily come to mind and therefore need some further explanation. First, we must have a clear understanding of the specific goals of PCIT and how these goals are directly related to the deficits often present in children who are on the spectrum.

 

General Goals of PCIT	Deficits Associated with ASD
Increased parent-child attachment Increased social skills	Lack of social-emotional reciprocity Lack of joint attention and shared enjoyment Deficits in maintaining, establishing, and understanding relationships Difficulties sharing Difficulties engaging in collaborative & symbolic play
Increased appropriate verbal communication	Speech and language delays
Decreased oppositional & disruptive behavior	Inflexibility Tantrumming & aggressive behavior Hyperactivity Inattention

Since parents/caregivers have the biggest influence on their children’s lives and behaviors, PCIT focuses on directly teaching parents/caregivers skills that are effective in achieving the aforementioned goals. Parents/caregivers first learn a variety of play skills aimed at increasing children’s positive, prosocial behavior, as well as establishing a secure parent-child attachment with shared enjoyment and social-emotional reciprocity – all things that a parent and child with ASD need. This is only the beginning though. Once these goals have been achieved, parents/caregivers are then taught specific discipline skills that are effective in increasing compliance and decreasing oppositional and dysregulated behaviors, which are often present in children on the spectrum. Below is a brief outline of some of the skills taught in PCIT and how they can specifically target some of the symptoms and characteristics of ASD.

 

PCIT Skills	Results with Children with ASD
Praise – praising your child for positive behaviors	Increased prosocial behaviors (e.g., making eye contact, sharing a toy, using nice words) through praising these behaviors Increased regulation (e.g., focusing, sitting still) through praising these behaviors
Reflections – reflecting what your child says	Increased speech and language
Imitation – playing in a similar way as your child is and on his/her level	Increased shared enjoyment and joint attention
Description – narrating your child’s play	Increased focus and attention Potential for increased symbolic play
Enjoyment – having fun with your child	Increased shared enjoyment and social-emotional reciprocity
Commands, Rewards, & Consequences	Increased compliance. Decreased dysregulation. Increased ability to transition from one task to another.

As one can see, the goals and skills taught in PCIT are closely related to the needs of children with ASD and therefore it too can be an option when choosing what type of treatment is best. So, if you have a child with ASD or know someone who does, consider PCIT as another or additional type of treatment that could be of great use!