A Parent’s Perspective is Worth a Thousand Words: Parents of Children with ASD and Their Perspectives on a Community-Based Parent Education Program

In 2012, several community-based agencies in the Greater Toronto Region of Ontario overseeing behaviour intervention services for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) began delivering curricula to parents. Session content focused on ASD characteristics, Applied Behaviour Analysis, increasing awareness of available community resources, and active engagement in their child’s learning. Using a mixed methods approach, this research project explored parent perspectives on their involvement in these education sessions. Through constant comparison analysis four major and three minor themes emerged. While parent participants confirmed this education program included relevant content and a favourable delivery format, noteworthy gaps were identified. Implications for practice would be applicable to educators interested in providing quality group-based education to parents of young children with ASD