74 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15388/Psichol.2018.0.11904 ISSN 1392-0359. PSICHOLOGIJA. 2018 57 Psichologija praktikai AUTISM, INTERVENTIONS AND PARENT TRAINING Nichola Booth Behaviour Analyst, PhD in Behaviour Analysis Parents Education as Autism Therapists Belfast N. Ireland E-mail: nichola@peatni.org Mickey Keenan Professor, PhD in Behaviour Analysis School of Psychology Ulster University N. Ireland E-mail: m.keenan@ulster.ac.uk Worldwide, the prevalence rates of autism are increasing. This review looks at the additional stressors that parenting a child with autism can bring, including psychological distress and mental health difculties. With the difculties associated with the autism diagnosis and additional demands on the parents, research has shown that parent training, which helps teach parents new skills, may be advantageous. This review also looks at the most commonly used interventions that parents might avail of in order to acquire new skills, and it examines whether they are based in science, pseudoscience or anti-science. Utilizing best prac- tice from evidence-based research, parents can be successfully trained to teach new skills across a variety of diferent domains. The advantages and disadvantages of one-on-one training sessions versus group training events, as well as the diferent components that contribute to each, are discussed. A number of training packages are discussed, including Behavioral Skills Training, video modelling and manualized training packages. We conclude that there is substantial evidence showing that packages with behavioral underpinnings are more efective for children with autism. Autism awareness and education is simply not enough – educate the parents using evidence-based practice to help efectively educate the children. Keywords: autism, ABA, parent training, evidence-based practice. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is purported to affect approximately 1 in 160 children worldwide (WHO, 2017). This high preva- lence rate has resulted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considering autism as “a public health concern” with 1 in 67 children in the United States being diagnosed (CDCP, 2016). To receive a diagnosis of ASD, individuals will present with diffculties in social interaction and communication as well as a narrow range of interests and activities that are unique to the individual; many of these activities are carried out repetitively (NHS, 2016). As autism is a spectrum disorder, the diffcul- Stephen Gallagher Lecturer, PhD in Behaviour Analysis School of Psychology Ulster University N. Ireland E-mail: sm.gallagher@ulster.ac.uk