The Journal of Korean Society of Community-Based Occupational Therapy Vol.16 No.2 pp.29-42
Effects of Telehealth-Based Parent Training on Social Communication and Daily Living Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder : A Meta-Analysis
Key Words : Autism spectrum disorder,Daily living skills,Social communication,Telehealth-based parent training,Meta-analysis
Abstract
Objective : This study examined the effects of telehealth-based parent training on social communication and daily living skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods : A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published from 2013 through October 2025 was conducted.PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Embase, RISS, KISS, and DBpia were searched. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and PEDro scale. Pooled effect sizes and heterogeneity were calculated, and publication bias was examined using a funnel plot and the trim-and-fill method. Results : Four studies were included, all scoring ≥7 on the PEDro scale. The total sample comprised 55 participants in the intervention groups and 52 in the control groups. The overall effect was large but not statistically significant (Hedges' *g* = 0.921, 95% CI = −0.182 to 2.025, *p* = 0.102). Social communication also showed a large but nonsignificant effect (Hedges' *g* = 1.008, 95% CI = −0.04 to 2.06, *p* = 0.060), whereas daily living skills showed a significant moderate effect (Hedges' *g* = 0.424, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.83, *p* = 0.042). Heterogeneity was high overall (Q = 26.751, I² = 88.79%) and for social communication (Q = 38.89, I² = 89.7%), but absent for daily living skills (Q = 2.68, I² = 0.0%). Funnel plot asymmetry was partly observed, but the direction of the effect remained unchanged after trim-and-fill adjustment. Conclusion : The findings suggest that telehealth-based parent training programs may positively affect social communication and daily living skills in children with ASD. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the small number of included studies and the high heterogeneity observed in social communication outcomes. In future clinical practice, telehealth-based parent training may be implemented independently or alongside existing interventions, considering the child's developmental level and the family's environmental context. These findings may provide preliminary evidence supporting the expansion of home-based telerehabilitation services in community occupational therapy settings.
