Measuring Primary Caregiver-Child Interaction

In this study, we want to try a new method for understanding how parents and children interact. We will do this by watching and measuring things such as the length of brief interactions using a video of a caregiver interacting with their child. We hope this new method will make it quick and easy to understand the connections between parents and children.

We invite children aged 3 to 8 years old and one of their main caregivers to join our research study. Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder are welcome to participate.

The caregiver will need to fill out consent forms, a demographic survey, and make a 10-minute video. The caregiver or someone they choose will record a play session between the caregiver and the child. Completing the forms and recording the video will take about 45 minutes.

This study will help parents, caregiver, therapists, and teachers learn about the autistic child. This new video measurement tool can look at changes in the moment and over time between the autistic child and the adult with whom they are interacting. We hope this new method will make it quick and easy to understand the connections between parents and children. Learning about the autistic child can help to understand their needs, wants, feelings and behavior. We hope to be able to meet the needs of the autistic child with an increased understanding, and offer sensitively attuned support.