Date Presented 03/22/24
SPAN-ASD is a short-term hybrid intervention for autistic adolescents and young adults. The current study presents its efficacy in achieving autonomous personal goals and their perceived self-efficacy regarding those goals.
Primary Author and Speaker: Einat Yaar
Additional Authors and Speakers: Eynat Gal, Gary Bedell, Liron Lamash
PURPOSE: Adolescence and young adulthood crucially shape autistic adolescents and young adults (AYA) developmental trajectories. They desire autonomy and functional independence. Social Participation and Navigation for autistic AYA (SPAN-ASD) is a hybrid intervention aimed to promote autonomy and participation by setting and achieving personal goals. This study aimed to assess the initial SPAN-ASD efficacy to achieve personal goals and promote self-efficacy of autistic AYAs.
DESIGN: This single subject design included 12 autistic AYAs aged 12–20 years (M = 16.2, SD = 3.3), recruited through educational systems.
METHOD: The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the SPAN Self-Efficacy Scale (SPAN-SES) were used as outcome measures. After setting their personal goals, the study design included a baseline assessment (T1); 6 weeks of no intervention; pre-intervention assessment (T2), 6 weeks of remote intervention; post-intervention assessment (T3); 6 weeks of no intervention, and a follow-up assessment (T4). Friedman’s test and Wilcoxon’s signed rank test were used to evaluate differences between assessments. Effect sizes were calculated to assess differences in SPAN-SES.
RESULTS: Friedman’s test showed significantly improved goal performance, χ2(2) = 10.61, p < .01, and satisfaction with performance, χ2(2) = 10.85, p < .01. Participants reported higher performance (Z = -2.92, p < .01) and satisfaction (Z = -2.86, p < .01) levels after the intervention (T2 and T3) and in the follow-up assessment (Z = -2.5, p <.05; Z = -2.08, p <.05). Medium effect sizes (>.30), indicated an increased self efficacy perception of the participants’ ability to set personal goals and make a plan to achieve them.
CONCLUSION: SPAN-ASD was found to be an effective hybrid intervention to promote autonomy and participation in autistic AYAs. An implementation study with a larger sample should be conducted to expand the evidence of remote interventions’ efficacy among autistic.
References
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