Parental attitudes to a telehealth parent coaching intervention for autism spectrum disorder

IntroductionThis study examined the potential feasibility of tele-delivered parent coaching in a rural area of Italy through a survey of parents’ attitudes towards this type of intervention.MethodsParents of all children up to six years of age registered with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder at the clinic catering for the area were invited to take part in the study. The final sample consisted of 43 parents.ResultsParents with worse Internet skills and those who reported lower levels of satisfaction with currently received services were less likely to be willing to enrol. There was a trend for parents with lower self-efficacy to be less likely to enrol. Educational level, previous experience of video-calling, travel time to the clinic and child’s level of ability were not associated with the choice of enrolment.DiscussionImplications for strategies to contrast barriers to adoption and strengthen implementation plans are discussed.