Evidence based practice symposium occupational therapy class of 2018

Introduction: The Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication (ACSF:SC) is a five-level system that was developed for preschool-aged children (3 to <6 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to provide a consistent way to classify levels of social communication ability. Purpose: To use qualitative methods to explore the applicability of the ACSF:SC tool for school-aged children (6-12 years) with ASD and examine parents of school-aged children’s understanding of the ACSF:SC. Methods: A sample of six parents of school-aged children with ASD were recruited to participate in the study. Cognitive interviewing principles were used to develop interview guides to gather data from the participants on their experiences using the ACSF:SC. Data were analyzed by four coders using qualitative content analysis. Results: Five categories structured the data that came out of the interviews: applicability, clarity, context, misalignment, and recommendations. Conclusion: Overall, these preliminary results indicated that the ACSF:SC was applicable to school-aged children with ASD and clearly understood by parents, however, several recommendations were provided to be considered before proceeding with its use. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability affecting 1 in 66 Canadian children. Individuals with ASD may experience challenges with social communication and repetitive and restrictive patterns of behaviours. The Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication (ACSF:SC) is a tool that helps to identify levels of social communication skills for children with ASD. The five-level system, developed with parents and professionals, provides a simplified way to discuss a child’s social communication abilities. Two ratings are used to determine a child’s typical performance and best capacity. The classification system uses a strengths-based approach to focus on what the child is able to do. Originally developed for preschool-aged children (3 to <6 years), the purpose of the current study was to explore whether the ACSF:SC can be used with school-aged children (6-12 years) with ASD. 1. How applicable is the ACSF:SC for school-aged children with ASD? 2. How easy or difficult is the ACSF:SC to understand for parents of school-aged children with ASD? Cognitive interviews were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of parents’ experiences using the ACSF:SC, and to explore their understanding of key terms used in the tool. To guide this process, and to increase interviewer consistency, an interview guide was developed based on the principles of cognitive interviewing. The interview guide included specific questions about the parent’s ability to select a level of social communication skills using the ACSF:SC, and a list of probes to gain more details regarding the parent’s understanding and experience with the tool. Recruitment of families with a school-aged child with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD was conducted in clinic by study coordinator (HV) in collaboration with clinicians at the Ron Joyce Centre. Interviews were conducted independently by four Student OTs over the telephone with a parent of the child. The interview guide was modified through an iterative process as interviews occurred with probes added to explore how context affects a child’s social communication rating. Six parents of school-aged children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD were interviewed, with one parent providing responses for two children. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Coding and analysis occurred simultaneously. Each Student OT independently read two transcripts and derived a list of codes in dyads. A final codebook was created by merging codebooks between dyads, with codes refined and finalized through consensus discussions. Each transcript was then coded by two researchers. Manifest content analysis was used, with the authors finalizing categories and coded data through group discussion and consensus. The following five categories were used to code the data: Applicability: All parents were able to identify their child in at least one of the ACSF:SC levels. Parents frequently selected a level by considering and identifying social communication skills of the child that were aligned with the description of the level. For example, one parent discussed examples of their child communicating about preferred interests (level 2). Some parents also selected a level by considering the social communication skills that the child was unable to demonstrate. For example, one parent looked at advanced levels and identified an area of Discussion Strengths and Limitations