The statistical tests used included Pearson’s correlation coefficient test to investigate correlations between variables; independent t-test to compare mean differences between two groups; Fisher’s exact test to examine frequencies of categorical data; chi-squared test to analyze relationships between nominal/categorical variables; and linear regression analysis was employed to identify significant predictors of outcome measures. The authors found that parents in the experimental group reported significantly less stress than those in the control group both at baseline and post-intervention measurements. They also reported better family functioning at post-intervention measurements compared with pre-intervention levels. Lastly, there was also an increase in knowledge about ASD from pre-to post-interventions measurement among parents receiving the intervention which was not observed among those in the control condition. Overall, I believe this study provides important insight into how peer support interventions can be used for Chinese families with children diagnosed with ASD. While certain limitations such as small sample size and lack of follow up data should be noted, it provides valuable information on how effective such programs are when applied correctly while taking into account cultural needs.

Sample Solution

I selected “The Impact of a Peer Support Intervention for Chinese Families With Children Diagnosed With Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Zhang et al. (2020) as the program evaluation article I would review. The research questions in this study were to determine whether a peer support intervention is effective in reducing parental stress, improving family functioning and increasing knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To answer these questions, the authors designed a randomized controlled trial with an experiment group that received the intervention and a control group who did not.