Research has shown that parent education programs can address some of the distinct challenges that parents of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encounter. This study examined the effectiveness of the Social Competence Intervention for Parents (SCI-P), a parent education program, administered in conjunction with a social competence intervention that targeted youth with ASD ages 11–14 (SCI-A). Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, parents were assigned to either the SCI-P group ( ) or to the waitlist comparison group ( ). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) revealed a significant effect for parent education participation such that SCI-P participants experienced significantly greater reductions in levels of stress and a trend for increases in parenting sense of competence from pre- to post-intervention. Moreover, parents in the SCI-P group reported high satisfaction with the program. These findings suggest that parent education can result in positive outcomes for parents’ well being. 1. Introduction The variety of skill deficits displayed by youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) present a unique set of challenges to their parents [1, 2]. Studies indicate that parents who experience these challenges report increased stress levels and a diminished sense of competence as a parent, which have been associated with feelings of social isolation, increased risk for clinical depression, and reduced marital satisfaction [3–5]. Potentially exacerbating these negative outcomes is ongoing difficulties, as reported by parents, in accessing information related to their child’s diagnosis [6]. Parent education programs are designed to provide parents with information to increase their knowledge [7], and as a result, have the potential to decrease stress [8] and increase parents’ sense of competence [9]. 1.1. Parent Stress The often unpredictable and somewhat ambiguous social and behavioral challenges presented by children with ASD can be a primary source of stress for parents. For example, literature on parents of children with ASD consistently indicates that these parents report higher levels of stress than their peers who are parenting typically developing children [10, 11]. Additionally, there is consistent evidence that the stress experienced by parents of children with ASD is greater than that experienced by parents of children with other types of developmental disabilities [12–14]. These parents also report a decreased level of social support, which has been linked to increased stress and poor adaptation to parenting a child with ASD [3]. Further,
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