Valencia, FátimaUrbiola, ElenaRomero-González, MarinaNavas, InmaculadaElías, MaríaGarriz, AlexandraRamírez, AlmudenaVillalta, Laia2022-11-182022-11-182021-04-20Valencia F, Urbiola E, Romero-González M, Navas I, Elías M, Garriz A, et al. Protocol for a randomized pilot study (FIRST STEPS): implementation of the Incredible Years-ASLD® program in Spanish children with autism and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties. Trials. 2021 Apr 20;22(1):291http://hdl.handle.net/10668/4360TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04358484 . Registered on 04 April 2020.Having access to parenting interventions in the early years is key to improve the developmental outcomes of children with neurodevelopmental problems. The Incredible Years® (IY) Parent Program is a group intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in terms of reducing stress in parents, as well as improving behavioral, emotional, and social outcomes in children. The program has been recently adapted for families of children with autism or language delays (IY-ASLD®). This intervention has not yet been implemented in the Spanish Public Health System, where there is a scarcity of evidence-based interventions being offered to families with young children presenting neurodevelopmental problems. The main aims of this study are to determine the feasibility of implementing the IY-ASLD® program within Spanish Child Mental Health Services and to examine parents' acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. As a secondary objective, we aim to evaluate its preliminary effectiveness in terms of reducing parental stress and behavioral difficulties in their children. The FIRST STEPS study is a multicenter, pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the IY-ASLD® program with a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition. Approximately 70 families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and preterm children with communication and/or socialization difficulties (aged 2-5 years) will be recruited. Families will be assessed prior to randomization and after the intervention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the intervention will consist of 22 weekly online sessions (approximately 6 months). The FIRST STEPS pilot trial will demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of reliably implementing the IY-ASLD® program within the Spanish Public Health System. The results of this study could represent the first step to inform policymakers in Spain when designing evidence-based healthcare pathways for families of children presenting ASD symptoms or neurodevelopmental difficulties at early stages.enAtribución 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Parenting interventionPilotASDPreterm childrenChild developmentRandomized controlled trialComplex interventionResponsabilidad parentalPilotosTrastorno del espectro del autismoNacimiento prematuroDesarrollo infantilMedical Subject Headings::Persons::Persons::Age Groups::ChildMedical Subject Headings::Persons::Persons::Age Groups::Child::Child, PreschoolMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Primates::Haplorhini::Catarrhini::Hominidae::HumansMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Epidemiologic Study Characteristics as Topic::Clinical Trials as Topic::Multicenter Studies as TopicMedical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms::Psychology, Social::Family::Family Relations::ParentingMedical Subject Headings::Persons::Persons::ParentsMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Epidemiologic Study Characteristics as Topic::Pilot ProjectsMedical Subject Headings::Diseases::Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications::Pregnancy Complications::Obstetric Labor Complications::Obstetric Labor, Premature::Premature BirthMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Epidemiologic Methods::Epidemiologic Study Characteristics as Topic::Clinical Trials as Topic::Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic::Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicMedical Subject Headings::Geographical Locations::Geographic Locations::Europe::SpainMedical Subject Headings::Psychiatry and Psychology::Mental Disorders::Mental Disorders Diagnosed in Childhood::Child Development Disorders, Pervasive::Autistic DisorderMedical Subject Headings::Information Science::Information Science::CommunicationMedical Subject Headings::Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena::Social Sciences::Sociology::Socializationresearch article33879224open access10.1186/s13063-021-05229-11745-6215PMC8056105