Effectiveness of Family Participation Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of Family Participation Intervention (FPI) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by integrating and comparing effect sizes of single-subject studies published in Republic of Korea between 2000 and 2021. For this purpose, twenty-seven dissertations and journals were selected based on predefined criteria and were analyzed. Effect sizes were calculated according to various variables such as treatment approach, goals, subject group charac teristics, and session characteristics using a random effects model. The results are as follows. First, the overall effect size of FPI for children with ASD was Tau-U .88, indicating a medium effect. Additionally, the effect size for the maintenance phase was Tau-U .95, indicating a large effect. Second, this study found that for elementary school students, using a community-cen tered or play (activity)-centered approach with the goal of improving adaptive behavior, involving various family members, conducting at least 20 sessions, showed better effects than other condition. This study is meaningful in that it verifies the ef fectiveness and validity of FPI for children with ASD. Additionally, it provides detailed information on the factors improving the intervention effectiveness.