<![CDATA[Children with autism have limitations in maintaining their oral health independently, making parental assistance essential. Insufficient parental knowledge and skills may affect oral health maintenance behaviors and the oral hygiene status of children with autism. This study aimed to determine the effect of parental psychoeducation on oral health maintenance on parents’ behavior and the oral hygiene status of children with autism at SLB Cendekiara Batam. This study employed a quantitative method using a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group design. The sample consisted of 24 parents and their children with autism, divided into an intervention group (12 respondents) and a control group (12 respondents). The intervention group received psychoeducation in three sessions followed by 21 days of parental assistance, while the control group received conventional health education. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, Paired Sample t-test, and Independent Sample t-test. The results showed an improvement in parental behavior in the intervention group, with the mean score increasing from 57.17 to 105.67 (p = 0.001), while the control group increased from 52.67 to 84.00 (p = 0.001). The oral hygiene status of children in the intervention group also improved, as indicated by a decrease in the mean PHP-M score from 46.67 to 19.58 (p = 0.001), whereas the control group decreased from 43.58 to 21.25 (p = 0.001). There were significant differences between the two groups in parental behavior (p = 0.001) and children’s oral hygiene status (p = 0.002). Parental psychoeducation has a significant effect on improving parents’ behavior and enhancing the oral hygiene status of children with autism.]]>
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