Joint Attention-Based Occupational Therapy Intervention in Pre-Schoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Twenty children, ten in each group, were included in the study. The study inclusion criteria were being between the ages of 4 and 6, diagnosed with ASD, and consenting to participate in the study. The study did not include children who had a co-morbid condition other than ASD and had no previous education or training. Between 1 April and 25 June 2020, a total of 28 children were interviewed for this study, and 3 children were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. 13 children were randomly assigned to the study group and 12 children to the control group. 3 individuals from the study group were excluded because of time, transportation or other reasons, and 2 children from the control group were excluded because they did not complete the assessments. As a result, a total of 20 children with ASD, 10 of whom were working and 10 were control, formed the sample group of the study. Informed consent was obtained after the scope and purpose of the study were explained in detail to the participants and primary family caregivers.

A social communication questionnaire (SCQ), autistic behavior checklist (ABC), and motor-free visual perception test-4 (MVPT-4) were administered to the children before and after the intervention, and the results were compared.

The SCQ was developed to evaluate the social communication of individuals with autism. The total score can be between 0-and 39 for children who can speak. The SCQ which comprises three sub-dimensions: reciprocal social interaction, language and communication, and repetitive and stereotyped patterns has the validity and reliability in Turkish.

The ABC is among the scales used for screening and evaluating education in autism in many countries. The ABC consists of five sub-dimensions: sensory, relating, body or object use, language, and social and self-help. The total score is between 0-159.

MVPT-4 is an instrument that presents a fast, reliable, and valid evaluation of children and adults' general and visual perceptual abilities. MVPT-4 consists of 45 items that are organized and grouped to provide a smooth implementation process. The items consist of black and white drawings and patterns developed to present answer options, making the implementation easy in a multiple-choice form. Motor skills are not necessary to get a response, which makes this test useful, especially for people with motor disabilities.