AN INVESTINGATION INTO USING TEXT MESSAGE INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE INFORMATION RETENTION OF FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT AMONG CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN LOW SOCIOECONOMICS AREAS

This study examined the effects of an in-person training and text message reminder program on knowledge of functional behavior assessment for caregivers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in low socioeconomic areas. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent pretest posttest design was used with 14 caregivers who have students in the District of Columbia Public Schools Autism Program. The intervention consisted of a training and a text message reminder program to examine the effects of text messages on knowledge retention following the training session. Results document that when text messages were provided, parents were able to able to retain acquired knowledge at a higher rate than their comparison counterparts. Contributions to the literature, implications, and future directions are discussed