With increasing autism spectrum disorders (ASD) cases in India and the paucity of autism intervention professionals, it is imperative to train parents as interventionists. This study investigated the effectiveness of a parent–based intervention (PBI) program on the development of communication, socialization, and play domains in children with ASD. Thirty–seven age–matched children with ASD were divided into PBI and therapist–based intervention (TBI) groups. The PBI group parents underwent training from special educators. In the PBI group, 75%, 55%, and 65% children showed significant improvements after post–intervention session 1 (PS1) in communication, socialization, and play skills, respectively.All children continuing through PS3 showed significant improvements in these three domains. The overall study results for PBI and TBI groups were comparable based on the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) checklist. We also observed greater parent empowerment and satisfaction among the PBI group parents.