Feasibility Trial of Parent-delivered Social Communication Program

More Than Words® (MTW) is a 13-week parent-implemented program designed to enhance communication, play development, and parent-child interaction for children under 4 years of age who have autism or social communication challenges. MTW is delivered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) certified by The Hanen Centre, a global not-for-profit organization based in Toronto. MTW is delivered virtually in this trial. The program an orientation session, an individual pre-program consultation appointment, 8 x 2½ hour group training sessions (with 6-8 parents per group), and 3 individual video feedback sessions. During video feedback, the parent demonstrates use of communication facilitation strategies with their child, while the SLP records the interactions. The parent and SLP then review the videos together, analyze use of the strategies and how the child responded, and formulate plans to foster development of new skills.