Adapting and pretesting the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training Program for children with autism and developmental disorders or delays in Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization Caregiver Skills Training Program (WHO-CST) was developed to strengthen caregivers' skills in supporting children with developmental delays and the caregivers' well-being. The WHO-CST Hong Kong (HK) was adapted, and pre-pilot tested to support families with children suspected of having developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder and to empower the caregivers to foster their children's learning, social communication, and adaptive behavior. A sequential mixed-methods research methodology was undertaken to examine the adaptation process and initial implementation experiences.

Acceptability and feasibility of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training Programme (WHO CST) delivered eLearning, videoconferencing, and in-person hybrid modalities in Hong Kong.

Background: Local children with developmental disabilities were deprived of learning opportunities due to recent social and health incidents, resulting in elevating challenging behaviors and familial conflicts. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility of the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training Programme (WHO CST) in alternative delivery modes under new normal and post COVID-19 period.

Method: CST was delivered eLearning (EL), videoconferencing (VC), and in-person hybrid (IP) modes to 34 parent-child dyads, being randomly assigned to modes of asynchronous non-interfering EL ( = 9), synchronous with online coaching VC ( = 7), synchronous with in-person coaching IP ( = 9) and Wait-list Control WLC ( = 9).

The Resilience of Social Service Providers and Families of Children With Autism or Development Delays During the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Community Case Study in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is one of the earliest cities to have hampered by the COVID-19. When preventive public health measures are enforced, specific groups, who have already been facing inequality before the outbreak, are likely to become more overlooked and vulnerable. This community case study aims to describe the additional needs of families of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental issues, as well as unexpected difficulties and challenges social service professionals encountered when delivering service and their solutions toward these challenges.