The Promise of Telepractice to Address Functional and Behavioral Needs of Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, so do the number of families in need of services. ASD is characterized by varying levels of social communicative deficits and repetitive or restrictive patterns of behaviors or interests, which often require a unique combination of services. Young children with ASD may have more complex service needs than children with other developmental disabilities, and families of children with ASD frequently have more difficulty finding appropriate services than children with other disabilities (Kogan et al., 2008). From diagnosis to treatment, the challenge of connecting providers and families with resources to improve outcomes for their children with ASD is often daunting. Telepractice refers to the provision of services or related activities via communications technology (American Speech and Hearing Association, 2005). Telepractice is an approach that may lessen the distance, both physically and metaphorically, between providers and families. In this chapter, we: (a) present the barriers facing families of children with ASD; (b) provide a basic overview of telepractice; (c) describe how telepractice models are being used for children with ASD; (d) highlight possible benefits, capacities, and considerations for use; (e) present some site- specific models currently using telepractice; and (f) discuss implications for future research.