Activities of Daily Living Participation Characteristics Among School-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This study aimed to investigate the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) among 53
      children ages 6-10 years: 17 with high-severity ASD (HS-ASD), 16 with low-severity ASD
      (LS-ASD), and 20 controls with typical development. Methods: The assessment combined a
      parent-reported questionnaire (the Participation in Childhood Occupation; PICO) alongside the
      Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI self-care) and Performance-based task, the
      Washing Hands Structured Observation (WashHO).
    

Detailed description: 
      study objectives were to:

      (a) Examine participation characteristics in self-care and daily activities of school-age
      children with HS-ASD and LS-ASD compared to children with typical development, based on the
      parent-reported Participation in Childhood Occupation Questionnaire (PICO-Q) for ASD and PEDI
      (b) Establish the validity and reliability of the WashHO assessment.

      The research hypotheses were (A) Significant differences will be found among children with
      HS-ASD, children with LS-ASD, and children with typical development in results of the PICO-Q
      and the PEDI self-care subtest of independence.

      (B1) The internal consistency of the WashHO assessment will be at a Cronbach alpha level
      equal to or greater than 70.

      (B2) Significant differences will be found among children with HS-ASD, LS-ASD, and typical
      development in the WashHO assessment performance criteria, thus establishing the WashHO's
      discriminate validity.

      (B3) Significant correlations will be found among the four PICO-Q ADL items, which involve
      performing a sequence of actions (bathing, hygiene, clothing, and washing hands) and the
      WashHO assessment performance scores, establishing its convergent validity.

      (B4) Significant correlations will be found among the WashHO performance and degree of
      independence scores and the PEDI independence subtest in self-care, establishing the WashHO's
      concurrent validity.
    

Intervention name(s): observation
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): The assessment combined a parent-reported questionnaire (the Participation in Childhood Occupation; PICO) alongside the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI self-care) and a Performance-based task, the Washing Hands Structured Observation (WashHO).
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Study participants with an ASD diagnosis were recruited from special education schools,
        special education classes located in regular schools, or mainstream schools through parent
        referral.no significant group differences were found for the participants' age, gender,
        socioeconomic status, or religion.
      
Keywords: ASD; self care; ADL; daily function; executive functions