Adapting and pre-testing the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training programme for autism and other developmental disorders in a very low-resource setting: Findings from Ethiopia

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adapting and pre-testing the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training programme for autism and other developmental disorders in a very low-resource setting

T2 - Findings from Ethiopia

AU - Tekola, Bethlehem

AU - Girma, Fikirte

AU - Kinfe, Mersha

AU - Abdurahman, Rehana

AU - Tesfaye, Markos

AU - Yenus, Zemi

AU - WHO CST Team

AU - Salomone, Erica

AU - Pacione, Laura

AU - Fekadu, Abebaw

AU - Servili, Chiara

AU - Hanlon, Charlotte

AU - Hoekstra, Rosa A

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - The World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training programme for children with developmental disorders or delays teaches caregivers strategies to help them support their child's development. Ethiopia has a severe lack of services for children with developmental disorders or delays. This study explored the perspectives of Ethiopian caregivers, professionals and other stakeholders to inform adaptation and implementation of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training in Ethiopia. Data collection included (1) a consultation and review, comprising stakeholder meetings, review of draft Caregiver Skills Training materials and feedback from Ethiopian Master Trainees and (2) a pre-pilot including quantitative feasibility and acceptability measures and qualitative interviews with caregivers (n = 9) and programme facilitators/observers (n = 5). The consultation participants indicated that the Caregiver Skills Training addresses an urgent need and is relevant to the Ethiopian context. Several adaptations were proposed, including more emphasis on psycho-education, stigma, parental feelings of guilt and expectations of a cure. The adapted Caregiver Skills Training was pre-piloted with excellent participation (100%) and retention (90%) rates. Four themes were developed from the qualitative data: (1) Programme acceptability and relevance, (2) Perceived programme benefits, (3) Challenges and barriers and (4) Suggestions for improvement. The World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training addresses a local need and, with careful adaptations, is feasible and acceptable to be implemented in Ethiopia. These findings may have relevance to low-resource settings worldwide.

AB - The World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training programme for children with developmental disorders or delays teaches caregivers strategies to help them support their child's development. Ethiopia has a severe lack of services for children with developmental disorders or delays. This study explored the perspectives of Ethiopian caregivers, professionals and other stakeholders to inform adaptation and implementation of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training in Ethiopia. Data collection included (1) a consultation and review, comprising stakeholder meetings, review of draft Caregiver Skills Training materials and feedback from Ethiopian Master Trainees and (2) a pre-pilot including quantitative feasibility and acceptability measures and qualitative interviews with caregivers (n = 9) and programme facilitators/observers (n = 5). The consultation participants indicated that the Caregiver Skills Training addresses an urgent need and is relevant to the Ethiopian context. Several adaptations were proposed, including more emphasis on psycho-education, stigma, parental feelings of guilt and expectations of a cure. The adapted Caregiver Skills Training was pre-piloted with excellent participation (100%) and retention (90%) rates. Four themes were developed from the qualitative data: (1) Programme acceptability and relevance, (2) Perceived programme benefits, (3) Challenges and barriers and (4) Suggestions for improvement. The World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training addresses a local need and, with careful adaptations, is feasible and acceptable to be implemented in Ethiopia. These findings may have relevance to low-resource settings worldwide.

KW - Ethiopia

KW - caregivers

KW - developmental delay

KW - developmental disorders

KW - parent-mediated

KW - parenting skills programme

KW - qualitative

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075683259&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1362361319848532

DO - 10.1177/1362361319848532

M3 - Article

C2 - 31094208

SN - 1362-3613

VL - 24

SP - 51

EP - 63

JO - Autism

JF - Autism

IS - 1

M1 - 1362361319848532

ER -