Piloting a Home Visual Support Intervention with Families of Autistic Children and Children with Related Needs Aged 0–12

Marion Rutherford (), Julie Baxter, Lorna Johnston, Vaibhav Tyagi and Donald Maciver
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Marion Rutherford: School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh EH21 6UU, UK
Julie Baxter: City of Edinburgh Council, Additional Support for Learning Service, Edinburgh EH8 8BG, UK
Lorna Johnston: City of Edinburgh Council, Additional Support for Learning Service, Edinburgh EH8 8BG, UK
Vaibhav Tyagi: School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh EH21 6UU, UK
Donald Maciver: School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh EH21 6UU, UK

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Visual supports are an important intervention for autistic individuals and others with neurodevelopmental differences. However, families often report limited access to visual supports and lack of information and confidence in their use at home. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a home-based visual supports intervention. Methods: 29 families with children (n = 20 males; mean age 6.59 years [Range 3.64–12.21 years SD 2.57]) receiving support for autism or related needs participated in the study. Parents engaged in an individualised assessment and intervention process through home visits, completing pre- and post-measures. Qualitative methods were used to explore the parents’ experiences of the intervention. Results: The intervention led to a statistically significant improvement in parent-reported quality of life (t28 = 3.09, p = 0.005) and parent-reported perception of autism-specific difficulties (t28 = 2.99, p = 0.006). Parents also reported improved access to resources and relevant information and increased confidence in using visual supports at home. The home visit model was strongly supported by the parents. Conclusion: The results provide initial evidence of the acceptability, practicality, and utility of the home-based visual supports intervention. These findings suggest that outreach into the family home may be a beneficial mechanism for delivering interventions related to visual supports. This study highlights the potential of home-based interventions to improve access to resources and information for families and the importance of visual supports in the home setting.

Keywords: assessment; visual supports; autism; parents; home (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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