Date Presented 03/29/20
We present on a research project that used telehealth to support parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to toilet train their children. Among n=15 children with ASD, results of the 12-week intervention showed significant gains in goal attainment scaling, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, and the Toileting Behavior Questionnaire. Children with ASD benefit from an OT telehealth intervention to increase this essential adaptive behavior.
Primary Author and Speaker: Lauren Little
Additional Authors and Speakers: Anna Wallisch, Winnie Dunn, Scott Tomchek
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of intervention approaches that directly teach parents to target discrete and specific adaptive behaviors situated in everyday life. While the number of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is rapidly increasing, available resources to provide intervention services are decreasing. Due to this shortage, alternate service delivery models such as telehealth and self-directed technology-based applications have emerged as evidence-based methods to provide intervention services. It is unclear, however, the extent to which such models are acceptable and feasible to parents of children with disabilities. TeleSCOPE (Telehealth Strategies for Collaborative Occupational Performance Engagement) is a parent training intervention that combines self-directed online educational modules with individualized telehealth coaching sessions to increase child toileting skills in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
METHODS: We completed the intervention with n=15 families of children with ASD ages 3-7 years. Outcome measures include: Toileting Behavior Questionnaire (Little, 2019), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM; Law et al., 2005), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (Johnston & Mash, 1989).
RESULTS: Findings show that GAS scores significantly increased (p<.05); COPM performance and satisfaction significantly increased (both p<.05); and children’s specific skills in toileting significantly increased (p<.05). Parenting competence did not change throughout the intervention.
DISCUSSION: Parents need support for toilet training young children. Toilet training is an understudied topic and there is high demand among parents to understand how to address this skill so children can engage in social and academic occupations. We present on how a telehealth intervention can support this essential skill among young children with ASD.
References
Boyd, B. A., Odom, S. L., Humphreys, B. P., & Sam, A. M. (2010). Infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: Early identification and early intervention. Journal of Early Intervention, 32(2), 75-98.
Law, M. C., Baptiste, S., Carswell, A., McColl, M. A., Polatajko, H., & Pollock, N. (1998). Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: COPM. CAOT Publ. ACE.
