Examination the impact of a parent training program on family functioning i̇n families of children with auti̇sm spectrum disorder

The developmental needs of children diagnosed with autism directly affect the family system by increasing the psychosocial burden on parents and potentially leading to various disruptions in family functioning. For interventions aimed at supporting individuals with autism to yield lasting and sustainable outcomes, it is essential that families be actively involved in the process. Parent education consists of structured programs designed to teach behavioral intervention strategies, promote effective implementation in natural settings, and enhance parent-child interaction. This study was conducted to examine the effect of an educational program provided to parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on family functioning levels. The participants included parents of children aged 0–6 years who had been diagnosed with ASD and were receiving occupational therapy services at a rehabilitation center. The education program was implemented once a week for six weeks. The first session was conducted face-to-face, while the remaining sessions were delivered through an online platform. The program was presented by the researcher using both visual and written materials. Demographic and social data related to the parents were collected using a structured form. The Family Functioning in Rehabilitation Scale was used to assess the level of family functioning before and after the training program. The study employed a one-group pretest–posttest follow-up experimental design. To determine whether the data showed a normal distribution, the Shapiro-Wilk test was applied. For comparing normally distributed data between two dependent groups, the paired samples t-test was used. To compare family functioning levels based on categorical variables, independent samples t-tests or one-way ANOVA were applied for normally distributed data. For non-normally distributed data, the Mann–Whitney U Test was used for comparisons between two independent groups, and the Kruskal–Wallis H Test was used for comparisons among more than two unrelated groups. The significance level was set at α = 0.05. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, and power analysis was performed using G*Power software. A total of 37 participants aged between 23 and 54 years took part in the study. Among the participants, 11 were male and 26 were female. It was observed that mothers, compared to fathers, formed stronger relationships with their children, assumed a more active role in the treatment process, and spent more time with their children during the day. A statistically significant difference was found between pre-test and post-test family functioning scores following the educational program (t = -3.64; p < 0.001). Significant improvements were observed in the subdimensions of awareness (t = -3.31; p = 0.002) and participation in rehabilitation (t = -2.15; p = 0.038). Participants under the age of 35 demonstrated significantly higher levels of engagement in rehabilitation compared to those over 35. Moreover, parents who initially reported a moderately strong relationship with their children showed greater improvement in their participation in rehabilitation compared to those with a highly strong parent-child relationship. A highly significant increase was noted in the attitudes and behaviors subdimension between pre-test and post-test scores (t = -4.66; p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was found in the community participation subdimension. The findings suggest that the parent education program provided to caregivers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder during early childhood can positively influence family functioning. This study demonstrated that parental awareness and attitudes toward their autistic children can be enhanced through structured educational support. Accordingly, the importance of parental involvement in the rehabilitation process was clearly highlighted. Keywords: Occupational therapy, parent training, autism, rehabilitation, participation