Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41779339›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Child Quality of Life as an Outcome Following Pivotal Response Treatment: Findings From Four Randomized Controlled Trials With Autistic Children.

Rachel K Schuck, Emily F Ferguson, Emily K Spackman, Ella Jevtic, M Estefania Millan, Katherine Paszek, Hamidreza Komaki, Qianheng Ma, Jennifer M Phillips, Mirko Uljarević and 2 more

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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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Rachel K SchuckDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA. rschuck@stanford.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2621-1223
Emily F FergusonDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Emily K SpackmanDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Ella JevticDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
M Estefania MillanDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Katherine PaszekDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Hamidreza KomakiDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Qianheng MaDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Jennifer M PhillipsDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Mirko UljarevićDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Grace W GengouxDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
Antonio Y HardanDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.

Funding

Pivotal Response Treatment Package for Young Children with AutismR21DC013689 · NIDCD · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI HARDAN, ANTONIO · 2014 to 2015
$439k
Autism Speaks 5773NIDCD NIH HHS DC01368902NIDCD NIH HHS R21 DC013689
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLiterature points to the efficacy of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in supporting children with autism in improving social communication. Given PRT’s positive impact on skill development and its child-centered, play-based implementation, it is plausible that it could have positive impacts on child quality of life (QoL), an important outcome according to autistic self-advocates and family members. However, few studies have investigated QoL as an intervention outcome.

methodsWe combined data from four randomized controlled trials of PRT with young autistic children (N = 160). All studies included parent training; two also included clinician-delivered intervention. Control group participants received treatment as usual in the community. Parents filled out the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory before and after 12 weeks of intervention. Analysis of covariance models assessed whether receiving PRT led to changes in QoL, controlling for child age.

resultsBaseline QoL ratings varied, with Physical QoL rated highest and Social QoL lowest. QoL change was not dependent on whether studies included only parent training versus also included clinician-delivered PRT. There were no significant impacts of intervention group on changes in QoL from baseline to post-intervention.

conclusionDespite benefits in social communication, short-term PRT did not lead to increases in parent-reported child QoL. While it is possible that PRT does not impact child QoL, future research should consider whether other measures of child QoL are more likely to be sensitive to change, ensure autistic conceptualizations of QoL are incorporated, and investigate the impact of PRT on QoL over longer periods of time.

Indexed as

AutismPivotal response treatmentQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID41779339
PMCPMC13570597

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.