Person-Centered Interventions for Autistic Adolescents Ages 13-19 Years (2013-2021).

Systematic review briefs provide a summary of findings from systematic reviews developed in conjunction with the Evidence-Based Practice Program of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Each systematic review brief summarizes the evidence on a theme related to a systematic review topic. This systematic review brief presents findings from a systematic review of family- and person-centered planning interventions for autistic1 adolescents aged 13-19 yr gathered from literature published between 2013 and 2021.

Family-Centered Interventions for Children on the Autism Spectrum (2013-2021).

Systematic review briefs provide a summary of the findings from systematic reviews developed in conjunction with the American Occupational Therapy Association's Evidence-Based Practice Program. Each systematic review brief summarizes the evidence on a theme related to a systematic review topic. The authors completed a systematic review of family- and person-centered planning interventions for families of autistic1 children, or autistic adolescents and adults gathered from literature published between 2013 and 2021. This systematic review brief presents findings from the six included articles that focused on family-centered planning interventions. Emerging evidence from these six studies supports the use of coaching interventions with caregivers of children on the autism spectrum to address both child and parent outcomes. These outcomes include individualized goals; caregiver sense of competence, empowerment, or self-efficacy; occupational performance of children and mothers; and caregiver satisfaction with their child's occupational performance.

Person-Centered Interventions for Autistic Adults Ages 18+ (2013-2021).

Systematic review briefs provide a summary of the findings from systematic reviews developed in conjunction with the Evidence-Based Practice Program of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Each systematic review brief summarizes the evidence for a theme related to a systematic review topic. This systematic review brief presents findings from a systematic review of family- and person-centered planning interventions for autistic1 adults aged 18+ years gathered from literature published between 2013 and 2021.

Ayres Sensory Integration® for Addressing Play in Autistic Children: A Multiple-Baseline Examination.

IMPORTANCE: Play is an area of difficulty for autistic children, and occupational therapy practitioners need evidence to guide interventions to improve play for this population. Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) intervention has not yet been studied for its impact on play outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of ASI intervention on play types in autistic children. DESIGN: Nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline design across subjects. SETTING: Outpatient occupational therapy clinic in New England. PARTICIPANTS: Three autistic children, ages 5, 6, and 6 yr. INTERVENTION: Twenty-four ASI sessions. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Frequency of play type was coded using partial interval coding. Progress monitoring used Goal Attainment Scaling. RESULTS: All three participants demonstrated changes in the frequency of specific types of play, but changes varied among them. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Findings suggest that ASI intervention may alter a child's patterns of play. What This Article Adds: This study is the first to examine the impact of ASI on play and the third that documents the feasibility of single-subject research for studying ASI. If confirmed in future studies, ASI could become an evidence-based intervention for improving play, an important outcome for autistic children and the profession of occupational therapy. Positionality Statement: This article uses the identity-first language autistic people. This nonableist language describes their strengths and abilities and is a conscious decision. This language is favored by autistic communities and self-advocates and has been adopted by health care professionals and researchers (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021; Kenny et al., 2016).

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Youth With Challenges in Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing: A Clinic-Based Practice Case Example.

Evidence Connection articles provide case examples of how practice decisions may be informed by findings of systematic reviews sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Project. This Evidence Connection article describes a case report of a child with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder who has difficulties in function and participation related to challenges in sensory integration. This article is the first in a two-part series, and it focuses on occupational therapy provided to the child by a clinic-based therapist in collaboration with the child's school-based occupational therapist. Part 2 in this series will describe the same child's intervention by the school-based therapist. Intervention decisions are informed by findings of systematic reviews of intervention effectiveness that were part of an AOTA EBP Project addressing occupational therapy interventions for children and youth with challenges in sensory integration and sensory processing.

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Youth With Challenges in Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing: A School-Based Practice Case Example.

Evidence Connection articles provide case examples of how practice decisions may be informed by findings of systematic reviews sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association Evidence-Based Practice Project. This Evidence Connection article is the second article in a two-part series. The first article described a case report of occupational therapy provided to a child with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and challenges in sensory integration in a clinic setting (Parham et al., 2019). This article describes the same child's occupational therapy service delivery by the occupational therapist working in the school setting.

Parental or Teacher Education and Coaching to Support Function and Participation of Children and Youth With Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration Challenges: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines the literature published from January 2007 through May 2015 related to the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions using parental or teacher education and coaching with children with challenges in sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI). Of more than 11,000 abstracts and 86 articles that were considered, only 4 met the criteria and were included in this review. Studies of parental training and coaching for children with challenges in SP-SI and comorbid autism spectrum disorder have suggested that educational or coaching programs could result in positive outcomes for both parents and children, often in a relatively short time period. Recommendations include a greater focus on providing educational interventions for parents and teachers and including specific assessment of SP-SI before implementing interventions meant to address those issues. Specific recommendations for future research are provided.

Using a Multifaceted Approach to Working With Children Who Have Differences in Sensory Processing and Integration.

Pediatric occupational therapy practitioners frequently provide interventions for children with differences in sensory processing and integration. Confusion exists regarding how best to intervene with these children and about how to describe and document methods. Some practitioners hold the misconception that Ayres Sensory Integration intervention is the only approach that can and should be used with this population. The issue is that occupational therapy practitioners must treat the whole client in varied environments; to do so effectively, multiple approaches to intervention often are required. This article presents a framework for conceptualizing interventions for children with differences in sensory processing and integration that incorporates multiple evidence-based approaches. To best meet the needs of the children and families seeking occupational therapy services, interventions must be focused on participation and should be multifaceted.

Effectiveness of Ayres Sensory Integration® and Sensory-Based Interventions for People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review examines the literature published from January 2006 through April 2013 related to the effectiveness of Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) and sensory-based interventions (SBIs) within the scope of occupational therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder to improve performance in daily life activities and occupations. Of the 368 abstracts screened, 23 met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Moderate evidence was found to support the use of ASI. The results for sensory-based methods were mixed. Recommendations include performing higher level studies with larger samples, using the Fidelity Measure in studies of ASI, and using carefully operationalized definitions and systematic methods in examination of SBIs.

Occupational Therapy: Meeting the Needs of Families of People With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Occupational therapy has much to offer to families of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, people outside the profession may be unaware of occupational therapy's breadth and scope. It is our responsibility and our duty to express the full range of occupational therapy services through research, clinical practice, advocacy, and consumer education. This special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, with its focus on autism, embarks on this endeavor by highlighting research and theoretical articles that address the various aspects of occupational therapy practice that can help to fully meet the needs of people with ASD and their families.

Immediate effect of Ayres's sensory integration-based occupational therapy intervention on children with autism spectrum disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of Ayres' sensory integration intervention on the behavior and task engagement of young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Clinical observations and caregiver reports of behavior and engagement also were explored to help guide future investigations. METHOD: This single-subject study used an ABAB design to compare the immediate effect of Ayres's sensory integration and a play scenario on the undesired behavior and task engagement of 4 children with ASD. RESULTS: No clear patterns of change in undesired behavior or task management emerged through objective measurement. Subjective data suggested that each child exhibited positive changes during and after intervention. CONCLUSION: When effects are measured immediately after intervention, short-term Ayres's sensory integration does not have a substantially different effect than a play scenario on undesired behavior or engagement of young children with ASD. However, subjective data suggest that Ayres's sensory integration may produce an effect that is evident during treatment sessions and in home environments.