Evaluation of the Program Parents Taking Action for Parents of Preadolescents with Autism in Colombia

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased in recent decades around the world. In Colombia, there is not a clear statistic about the prevalence of ASD, but it is estimated that 16% of the population under 15 years old has some type of developmental disability (National Administrative Department of Statistics-DANE, 2015). Unfortunately, the lack of research and information about supports for people with ASD and their families limits the services and supports available for this population. While there are emerging supports for families of young children with ASD in Colombia, there is a need to support families of youth with ASD, particularly around topics of puberty, sexuality, and adolescence development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the program Parents Taking Action (PTA) for parents of preadolescents with ASD in Bogota, Colombia using a quasi-experimental design with a control group. I recruited 38 Colombian parents of pre/adolescent youth with ASD between the ages of 10-17 in Bogota, Colombia through community-based organizations. Three groups were selected based on parents’ availability to participate (two different times were offered). One of these groups served as a delayed control group. Knowledge, Self-efficacy, empowerment, and Use of Strategies were assessed before and after the intervention, as well as a follow-up interview and goal setting. Intervention participants significantly improved in Knowledge (t=4.37, p<.001), Self-Efficacy (t=7.15, p<.001), Use of Strategies (t=4.29, p<.001), and Family Empowerment (t=3.82, p<.005) between baseline and post-test. When comparing to the control group, differences were significant as the control group did not improve on any of the outcome measures. Interviews supported these findings by showing that parents continued to use the information and strategies after the program finished. Also, parents met their goals as expected. The youth version of PTA demonstrated efficacy in the outcomes measured using a quasi-experimental design in Colombia. The program has potential for high impact as information is scarce and parents do not have resources related to the complicated developmental stages of pre/adolescence. The program shows promise as an efficacious tool for community organizations and health providers to provide extra support to families of youth with ASD.