A myriad of parent education treatment approaches for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been developed. Behavioral parent education programs are associated with positive parent outcomes because, as parents learn behavior modification techniques, they increase reciprocal positive interactions with their child, decrease stress, and increase confidence. Furthermore, parent education programs are associated with child gains in communication and social behavior and decreases in disruptive behavior. The parents' involvement is critical; it facilitates the generalization and maintenance of the child's skills. Despite the critical nature of parent education programs, however, not all parents benefit equally from these programs. Unfortunately, there are relatively few studies that directly address how to conduct parent education sessions, especially for the parents who continue to struggle with the intervention techniques.

Literature in related fields has found that video feedback facilitates learning through the process of self-observation and that such feedback results in improved performance. In light of these positive findings, this study extended the use of video feedback to parent education for parents of children with autism. To examine the effects of video feedback in parent education, a multiple baseline design across participants was used with parents with a history of not meeting treatment fidelity. This approach was evaluated to examine the impact on parents, children, and parent education variables. Results indicate that the incorporation of video feedback into parent education for parents of children with ASD yields positive results. Specifically, all three parents met treatment fidelity and displayed positive levels of affect, increased confidence, decreased parenting stress, increased parental self-efficacy, and reported satisfaction with the intervention.

Children displayed higher levels of affect and improved outcomes. The type (e.g., constructive versus positive and general versus specific) and amount of feedback delivered by the clinician did not significantly differ between the conditions. Finally, findings suggest that the parents increased their amount of self-reflective feedback statements. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for the use of video feedback in parent education programs and the theoretical underpinnings of parent change.