Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39425845›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Implementing a Positive Behavior Support Program for Young Children with Autism in Public Agencies: A Social Validity Evaluation from Parents, Practitioners, and Administrators.

Mélina Rivard, Justine Grenier-Martin, Catherine Mello, Carlos Sanchez, Diane Morin, Jacques Forget, Christine Lefebvre, Zakaria Mestari, Josquin Duchaine

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Mélina RivardUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada. rivard.melina@uqam.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0578-6818
Justine Grenier-MartinUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Catherine MelloThe Pennsylvania State University - Berks, Reading, Pennsylvania State College, PA, 16801, USA.
Carlos SanchezUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Diane MorinUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Jacques ForgetUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Christine LefebvreUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Zakaria MestariUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.
Josquin DuchaineUniversité du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke E Street, Montréal, H2X 1C3, Canada.

Funding

Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé Fonds de Recherche du Québec - SantéInstitut Universitaire en DI et TSA Institut Universitaire en DI et TSAMinistère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations du Québec Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et des Exportations du QuébecSocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Challenging behaviors in young children with autism and intellectual disabilities pose significant barriers to learning and inclusion. The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children (PTR-YC) program is an evidence-based intervention that addresses these behaviors according to Positive Behavior Intervention Support principles. It is essential to assess the social validity of an intervention, when implemented into a public service system, to ensure sustainability and relevance to stakeholders. The present study aimed to document the social validity of PTR-YC from the point of view of three key informants: parents, practitioners, and administrators. Sixty-one participants were interviewed about their experience with PTR-YC (9 administrators, 31 practitioners, and 20 families). Semi-structured interviews assessed three fundamental components of social validity (Wolf, 1978): (a) social relevance of intervention goals, (b) social appropriateness of intervention procedures, and (c) social importance of intervention effects. Participants' responses were subjected to thematic analysis. Intervention goals, namely family participation in the clinical process, strategies that focuses on prevention, and teaching alternative adaptive behaviors, were identified as relevant. Participants appreciated the program's clear, structured, and turnkey clinical process, its parent-practitioner collaboration, and its consistency with practices already in place in the field. Positive instrumental outcomes (e.g., knowledge, competencies, self-efficacy) and ultimate outcomes (e.g., decrease in challenging behavior) of the intervention were reported on children, families, and practitioners. This study represents the first in-depth evaluation of the social validity of PTR-YC in specialized public services for autism and demonstrates its appropriateness for universal implementation in this sector.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderBehavior TherapyAdultChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleParentsReproducibility of ResultsAutismChallenging behaviorsIntellectual disabilityInterventionParentsSocial validity

Identifiers

PMID39425845

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.