Feasibility and Effectiveness of OPCI on ASD Children
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The goal of this interventional study was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of
      online peer companion intervention (OPCI) on the social abilities and mental health of ASD
      children. The main questions it aims to answer are:

        1. What is the acceptability and adherence of OPCI;

        2. Whether OPCI is effective on the social abilities and mental health of ASD children;

        3. What impact does OPCI have on ordinary children and parents of both children?
    

Detailed description: 
      Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Fifth
      Edition of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM 5), is a neurodevelopmental disorder
      associated with symptoms that include "persistent deficits in social communication and social
      interaction across multiple contexts" and "restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior,
      interests, or activities." The education of children with ASD is a critical topic that has
      attracted widespread attention around the world. The mainstream education model has gradually
      shifted from the traditional education that separates special groups from the general
      population to a new model named inclusive education. Inclusive education was formally
      proposed in the Salamanca Declaration promulgated by the World Conference on Education for
      All in 1994, which was organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
      Organization. The so-called inclusive education is an educational concept of special
      education, which means that children with disabilities could enter common classes for
      non-differentiated learning through different levels of educational design and adjustment.
      However, due to problems such as teachers' competence and public awareness, it is difficult
      to popularize and popularize inclusive education in schools in China. According to the data
      of the "White Paper on the Investigation of Family Situation of Autism in China", although
      over 70% of the people said they were not afraid of contacting autistic patients, over 80% of
      the people said they would accept and help autistic patients. As a result of the insufficient
      understanding of autism, only about 10% of children with ASD could enter ordinary schools.
      Based on this actual condition, the inclusive education of ASD children in China is mainly
      led by social organizations and guides ordinary children and ASD children to carry out
      activities together by stimulating ordinary children's curiosity and sympathy for the
      population of ASD children.

      The effectiveness of the inclusive education model through peer-to-peer entertainment has
      also received preliminary empirical support. A study by Zercher et al. (2001) showed that,
      after training, typically developing groups of children aged 5, 9, and 11 were able to
      effectively promote activities in comprehensive playgroups involving children with ASD,
      whereas During this process, the characteristics of children with ASD, such as attention and
      verbal expression, were significantly improved. The results also showed that such increases
      were maintained in the unassisted group. Some studies have also shown that this form of
      inclusive education not only has a significant effect on the improvement of symptoms of ASD
      children, but also has a positive impact on the mental health of ordinary children, and can
      improve their self-efficacy and life satisfaction.

      In recent years, the COVID-19 epidemic has had a huge impact on the world. To ensure the
      safety and health of children, inclusive education cannot be carried out offline.
      Fortunately, online inclusive education has achieved initial development. Furthermore, the
      development of online inclusive education could balance the differences in mental health
      resources between different regions. However, the feasibility and effectiveness of online
      inclusive education have yet to be clarified. Based on this background, this study will take
      ASD children and ordinary children of the same age population as participants. this present
      study aims to preliminarily clarify the feasibility and effectiveness of one-to-one online
      communication and peer-to-peer entertainment.

      This present study will explore the feasibility and effectiveness of online peer companion
      intervention (OPCI) for children with ASD. Compared to traditional offline education and
      interventions for ASD children, this online intervention has higher convenience and lower
      cost advantages. At the same time, OPCI is also conducive to balancing the differences in
      mental health resources, so that more children with ASD from underdeveloped regions could
      have better interventions. Furthermore, in addition to improving social skills and mental
      health, peer participation in OPCI has the potential to promote the development of the social
      networks of children with ASD.
    

Intervention name(s): Online Inclusive Companionship Intervention
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): After prior intervention, professionals will conduct a lecture for ordinary children, which includes basic knowledge of ASD and communication skills with ASD children. These ordinary children will be paired with ASD children then. The entire intervention including 12 sessions will last for 3 months. Researchers will prepare a series of themes that the ASD children could choose, and the ordinary children need to ask their paired ASD children what activities they want to choose before each session. Then, they will carry out this entertainment online together through Tencent WeMeet. A researcher will supervise online at the same time and record the communication through instant video. The Researcher will turn off the video and sound throughout the process and will not intervene in the conversation between the ASD children and ordinary children except for special circumstances.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: In this study, ordinary children will be paired with ASD children according to age, hobbies and other conditions
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Peer-Mediated Intervention