Within the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the term parent training has been used to describe a wide range of interventions including care coordination, psychoeducation, treatments for language or social development, as well as programs designed to address maladaptive behaviours.
ARCL teaches parents of children with autism how to recognize and respond to their children’s attempts to communicate. Training sessions are delivered to parents with the goal of being able to take an active role in their child’s intervention and expand upon their child’s learning. Therapists help the parents interpret their child’s actions and suggest ways to respond. Training is intended to help parents teach their children in a variety of environments, take advantage of naturally occurring learning opportunities, and encourage their child to be successful and independent in daily life. The team of ARCL believes that improving parents’ responsiveness in this way should reinforce and strengthen the child’s communication skills.
Observation of therapy sessions of all domains including one to one ABA sessions, group sessions, speech and language therapy sessions, occupational therapy and physiotherapy sessions are scheduled every month so that parents can monitor their child’s progress over time.
Moreover, ARCL provides a platform for mothers of special ones to learn and practice professional therapies. After completing the required course work, some mothers have joined ARCL as employees and are playing their role in educating and developing skills in children with special needs.