Caregiver coaching for young autistic children in South Africa
Official title: Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11112538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project trains local early childhood workers to coach families so young autistic children in South Africa get practical, culturally adapted support at home.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $265,468 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH127573-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11112538 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are families of young autistic children in South Africa who can receive coaching through local early childhood or education services.
✕Less likely to help
Adults with autism, children outside the targeted age range, or families who cannot access participating community programs may not get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If your family joins, trained non-specialist early childhood practitioners will coach you on everyday ways to support your autistic child's learning and communication using a program adapted for local languages and culture. The coaching is delivered through existing community and education services so it happens where families already go. Researchers from Duke University and the University of Cape Town will follow participating children and families to see how the coaching helps child skills and family routines while also checking how easy it is for the system to keep the program running. The project aims to create a scalable model that could reach more families across South Africa and similar settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give families a practical, scalable way to improve young autistic children's communication and daily skills using locally available workers.
How similar studies have gone: Caregiver-delivered NDBI approaches have improved child outcomes in many high-income settings, but their use by non-specialists in African community systems is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Franz, Lauren — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Franz, Lauren
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa for Young Children
A Duke University-led project in South Africa aims to help young children with autism by training caregivers to deliver proven coaching strategies through non-specialist providers.
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Understanding how Latino caregivers engage with early autism services
This project looks at how Latino families engage with early intervention services for children with autism to improve access and quality of care.
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Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa
A Duke University-led project helps parents and non-specialist workers in South Africa use caregiver-supported autism strategies to help young children with autism.
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Caregiver coaching in South Africa to support young autistic children
This project trains local early-childhood workers to coach caregivers so they can help autistic children (around 0–11 years) build communication, behavior, and daily-living skills.
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Understanding how caregivers perceive infant cries to identify early signs of autism
This study is looking at how parents and caregivers understand and react to their babies' cries to see if certain sounds might help spot early signs of autism, with the goal of improving support for children who may be at risk.
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Helping Latino caregivers get the most from early autism services
This project works with Latino families of very young children with autism to strengthen caregiver involvement and improve the quality of early intervention services.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.