Parent and Child Training Program (PCTP)

1) To help parents understand Autism, understand their child, the unique ways in which their child thinks and learn.

2) To equip parents with strategies to effectively interact with and teach their children.

3) To provide parents with skill-building steps in social, language, cognitive and daily livings domain

4) To promote parent-child bonding through joint activities and guided play.

5) To empower parents, help them create a support system and subsequently reduce stress levels and improve overall family well -being.

During this fiscal year, 2081-82, ACNS successfully completed four batches of the parent and child training program—57, 58, 59, and 60—empowering 77 parents. Of the children enrolled, 14 were girls and 63 were boys, ranging in age from 22 months to 14 years. Our parent and child training was attended by parents from different parts of Nepal, including Janakpur, Dhanusa, Hetauda, Lumbini, Dolkha, Kavre, Mahottari, Dailekh, Sarlahi, Chitwan, Mahottari, Surkhet, Pokhara, and Tehrathum. We also had parents from the Dubai, Maldives, and Japan this fiscal year.

▶ Theory sessions on various topics like Understanding Autism, Enhancing Communication Skills, Supporting Independency with Structured Teaching, Supporting Positive Behavior, Sensory Integration and Occupational Therapy, Teaching Strategies, Creating and Using Social Stories, Toileting, Seizure, Moving towards Adolescence, Enhancing Play, Orientation on Disability, and Parental Well-Being

▶ Individual parent coaching for individualized education plans developed for each child

▶ Joint parent and child group activities, birthdays/ festivals celebrations, potlucks, excursions

▶ One-to-one session, turn-taking, and independent work

▶ Group discussions and feedback sessions

▶ Steps to Teaching Sessions

▶ Home program submission

▶ Certification

▶ Parent’s skills growth: Parents reported better ability and confidence to manage behavioral challenges at home, use visuals for receptive and expressive communication, teach new skills, engage their children in daily activities and life skills, build connection through play, and above all, accept their child for who they are, creativity, self-love, and change in their own behavior.

▶ Child Development Progress:

Children showed improvement in communication, social interaction, joint attention, eye contact, attention, sitting behavior, cooperation skills, turn-taking, waiting, following instructions, and toilet habits.

▶ Community Building:

Created a parent support network that will be continued even after the training.

▶ Traveling a long way

▶ Living arrangements for parents from outside the valley

▶ Training fees for low-income parents

▶ Academic background of parents

▶ Special modules for children above seven years

▶ Regular follow up for revising functional assessment and other behavioral issues

▶ Time management for working parents

▶ Too few toys in the play area

▶ Short trainings for working parents

▶ Online trainings

▶ Living arrangements