Caregiver coaching in South Africa to support young autistic children
Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa
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.
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 ID | NIH-11377098 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project adapted a caregiver coaching program (an NDBI) to fit South African languages and communities. Non-specialist early childhood development practitioners will be trained to coach caregivers in home and community settings. The team will run a type 1 hybrid effectiveness‑implementation trial inside existing education services to see how the coaching works in real-world clinics and classrooms. Families from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds will be included so the approach can be scaled across similar settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young autistic children (early childhood, up to about 11 years) and their caregivers who are served by local Early Childhood Development programs in South Africa are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People outside the target age range, caregivers who cannot attend local coaching through participating programs, or individuals whose needs require specialist-only services may not benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, caregivers could gain practical skills to improve their child's communication, behavior, and overall quality of life while increasing access to early intervention in low-resource settings.
How similar studies have performed: Caregiver-delivered NDBI approaches have shown benefits in higher-resource settings and early pilots in South Africa were promising, but large-scale delivery by non-specialists is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Franz, Lauren — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Franz, Lauren
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 below.