Feasibility and potential efficacy of the family-centered Prevent-Teach-Reinforce model with families of children with developmental disorders

• The PTR process can promote parents of children with developmental disorders to design and implement the PTR intervention plans.
• The parent implementation of the PTR intervention plans can result in improvement in behavior of children with developmental disorders.
• Parents can use IBRST easily to monitor their child's progress.

This study examined the feasibility and potential efficacy of the family-centered Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model with three families of young children with an autism spectrum disorder or language delay with sensory processing problems. Particularly, the study assessed the family adherence to the PTR intervention, changes in child behavior, family use of the Individualized Behavior Rating Scale Tool (IBRST), procedural integrity, and social validity. A multiple-baseline design across families was used to examine the functional relation between parent-implemented PTR intervention and changes in child behavior. Results indicated that the family-centered PTR process was successful in promoting parents to design and implement the PTR intervention plans with fidelity, and the parents’ implemented intervention plans were effective in increasing replacement behavior and decreasing problem behavior across children. The results also indicated that the parents successfully used the IBRST to monitor their child's progress and were highly satisfied with the PTR intervention process and outcomes for their children.