Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School

Partners in School: Promoting Continuity Across Home and School for Children with Autism by Improving Parent-Teacher Communication During the Transition to School

Partners in School is a collection of implementation strategies (e.g., communication training, problem-solving consultation) to help parents/primary caregivers and teachers of children with autism spectrum disorder implement the same practices across home and school.

We recruited a total of 48 participants (N=22 parent-teacher dyads) from urban and suburban public schools in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Teachers were matched on years of teaching experience (0-2 years, 3-5 years, 5-10 years, or 11+ years), and then randomized to the experimental condition or the control condition. The experimental condition had 13 parent-teacher dyads (N=26 participants) and the control condition had 11 parent-teacher dyads (N=22 participants). The experimental condition included the five steps of Partners in School including the pre-consultation phone interview, web-based communication skills training for the parent or teacher through School Talk, in-person parent-teacher conference, three weeks of implementing the same intervention with the student at home (by parents) and school (by the teacher), and a post-consultation phone interview. Parents and teachers also completed surveys at the beginning and end of Partners in School. The control condition had the same experiences but the parents/teachers in that condition did not receive communication skills training through School Talk. One of the key outcomes is that recruitment, randomization, condition protocols, retention, and assessment of Partners in School with School Talk is feasible and acceptable. These findings are significant to the scientific field because they suggest that researchers can partner with public schools and train parents and teachers to communicate and collaborate effectively in order to double the dosage, intensity, and impact of evidenced-based practices for young children on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Must be parent/primary caregiver or full-time, lead teacher
2. Must have or teach preschool, pre- kindergarten, kindergarten, or 1st grade child with ASD
3. Must have or teach child with ASD that can see and hear
4. Access to internet via wifi-enabled phone, tablet, or computer
5. Must be English or Spanish speaking
6. An active email -

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Parents with younger (less than preschool) or older children (in 2nd grade or above)
2. Teachers who teach older than 1st grade.
3. Teaching assistants