The use of behavior modeling training in a mobile app parent training program to improve functional communication of young children with autism spectrum disorder

Parents can be vital resources in the midst of the current manpower shortage. Map4speech is a new mobile application developed for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

It is specially designed to provide high-quality, interactive learning, coupled with frequent feedback and live coaching to train parents in a naturalistic language intervention. A multiple-baseline single-case experimental design was conducted across three parent–child dyads. Results indicate that procedural integrity of parents’ intervention techniques was above 85% during post-training intervention, and their respective children showed increases in spontaneous word/gesture use.