Parent-mediated intervention training for caregivers of children with developmental differences in Zambia

Jillian M Pierucci; Gabriela A Aquino; Alexandra Pearson; Monica Perez; Sylvia Mwanza-Kabaghe; Francis Sichimba; Haatembo Mooya

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104373

Parent-mediated intervention training for caregivers of children with developmental differences in Zambia

Res Dev Disabil. 2023 Jan:132:104373. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104373. Epub 2022 Nov 19.

Authors

Jillian M Pierucci¹, Gabriela A Aquino², Alexandra Pearson³, Monica Perez⁴, Sylvia Mwanza-Kabaghe⁵, Francis Sichimba⁶, Haatembo Mooya⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA. Electronic address: jpierucci@stmarytx.edu.
² Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 110 Inner Campus Drive, Austin, TX 78705, USA. Electronic address: gaquino@utexas.edu.
³ Department of Psychology, Houston Community College, 3100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002, USA. Electronic address: alexandra.pearson@hccs.edu.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, 220 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. Electronic address: mperez18@nd.edu.
⁵ Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379 Lusaka, Zambia. Electronic address: sylviamwanza.kabaghe@unza.zm.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379 Lusaka, Zambia. Electronic address: francis.sichimba@unza.zm.
⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Great East Road Campus, P.O. Box 32379 Lusaka, Zambia. Electronic address: haatembo.mooya@unza.zm.

PMID: 36413886
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104373

Abstract

Background: Lower- and middle-income countries (LAMICs) are under-resourced and have limited intervention services for children with developmental differences and their families. A logical method to address service gaps within resource-scarce contexts is to train caregivers as interventionists, specifically using empirically-supported parent-mediated Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (P-M NDBIs; Kasari et al., 2010; Ingersoll & Wainer, 2013).

Aims: The study implemented the first P-M NDBI in Zambia and aimed to train caregivers and improve children's social-communication skills.

Methods/procedures: The current study utilized a mixed-methods, pre-post design and implemented Project ImPACT (Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2010, 2019). Participants included 19 Zambian caregivers of children (n = 20) with developmental differences including autism spectrum condition, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy.

Outcomes/results: Findings indicated that children's language skills and pretend play skills significantly improved from pre- to post-assessment, and caregivers most frequently used intervention strategies for modeling communication and prompting communication.

Conclusions/implications: The success and feasibility of implementing Project ImPACT in Zambia, and recommendations for culturally adapting and implementing P-M NDBIs in LAMICs, were discussed.

Keywords: Autism spectrum condition; Developmental disabilities; Low resource contexts; Low- and middle-income countries; Parent training; Zambia.

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Caregivers*
Child
Communication
Humans
Parents
Zambia