Involving parents and neurotypical (NT) siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as intervention agents in supporting the social/communication development of children with ASD has shown to be beneficial for the child with ASD and to increase the skills of parents and the NT siblings. However, there is a gap in the literature where both parent and NT siblings are included in an intervention package using a cascading model to increase social/communication skills in children with ASD. To fill this gap, this dissertation includes two studies. The first study focuses on the development of the intervention by using focus groups that explored caregivers’ and NT siblings’ perspectives on an online, family-mediated intervention to increase social/communication development of children with ASD. The aim was to enrich the content and delivery of the intervention to ensure feasibility and acceptability. After incorporating the results from the first study, the second study was a pilot test of the intervention using a single-case research design to explore the application of the intervention package in the home. Limitations, future research directions, and implications for practice and policy are also discussed.
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