Detecting change in a caregiver-mediated autism intervention using the Joint Engagement Rating Inventory

South African Journal of Communication Disorders

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Detecting change in a caregiver-mediated autism intervention using the Joint Engagement Rating Inventory
 
Creator Dawood, Zahra Sebolai, Katlego Ndlovu, Minkateko Viljoen, Marisa Seris, Noleen Shabalala, Nokuthula de Vries, Petrus J. Franz, Lauren Harty, Michal
 
Subject — Joint Engagement Rating Inventory (JERI); naturalistic developmental behavioural interventions (NDBI); caregiver coaching; signals of change; intervention response
Description Background: The Joint Engagement Rating Inventory (JERI) can be used to measure response to early autism intervention. However, little is known about the utility of the JERI outside the United States, where it was developed. A South African study found the JERI to be a reliable and accurate measure of joint engagement and communication between young autistic children and their caregivers. The next step was to determine if the JERI could be used to detect changes in the behaviours of child and caregiver in response to intervention.Objectives: This proof-of-principle study aimed to evaluate whether the JERI could detect signals of change in the behaviours of child and caregiver in response to 12, 1-h naturalistic developmental behavioural intervention-informed caregiver coaching sessions.Method: A single-arm pre–post design was utilised. Standardised video-recorded caregiver–child interactions were completed before and after intervention. Two raters, blinded to intervention time-point, coded the JERI. Ten dyads completed coaching and video-recorded assessments. Data analysis included inter-rater reliability, Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples and visual summaries.Results: Weighted Kappa values for 13 of the 16 JERI items indicated moderate to strong inter-rater agreement. Significant changes in symbol-infused joint engagement (z = −2.46, p = 0.01) and expressive language (z = −2.156, p = 0.03) were detected. Visual summaries showed change signals in 15 JERI ratings.Conclusion: Findings suggest that the JERI has the potential to detect change in the context of a caregiver-mediated intervention.Contribution: The JERI was shown here, for the first time in an African context, to be a potential outcome measure for early autism intervention research.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor This work was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health (K01 MH104370 R21 MH120696 R01 MH127573).
Date 2025-09-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajcd.v72i1.1102
 
Source South African Journal of Communication Disorders; Vol 72, No 1 (2025); 11 pages 2225-4765 0379-8046
 
Language eng
 
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https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1102/2556 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1102/2557 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1102/2558 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1102/2559
 
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Rights Copyright (c) 2025 Zahra Dawood, Katlego Sebolai, Minkateko Ndlovu, Marisa Viljoen, Noleen Seris, Nokuthula Shabalala, Petrus J. de Vries, Lauren Franz, Michal Harty https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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