Teaching Parents Skills to Help Autistic Toddlers Manage Big Emotions

This study is testing whether a parent training program helps families of toddlers with autism (ages 12 to 36 months) manage challenging behaviors and emotions more effectively. Half of the families will receive special parent training that teaches concrete strategies like identifying what triggers difficult behaviors and teaching replacement skills. The other half will continue receiving their usual early intervention services, and researchers will compare how both groups do.

Many toddlers with autism struggle with emotional regulation, leading to frequent meltdowns, aggression, or other challenging behaviors—and parents often don't have the tools to address this in a way that fits their family's needs and values. While parent training has proven effective for children with autism in research studies, it has never been properly tested within the Part C Early Intervention system that serves babies and toddlers birth to age 3.