Assessing the social validity of telehealth-based applied behavior analysis services for autism spectrum disorder |
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Authors: | Karen Nohelty Adam D Hahs Kristine A Rodriguez Hanna Rue Michael J Cameron Dennis R Dixon |
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Institution: | 1. Center for Autism and Related Disorders, LLC, Plano, Texas, USA;2. Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA;3. Autism Learning Partners, Pasadena, California, USA;4. LEARN Behavioral, Baltimore, Maryland, USA;5. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA |
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Abstract: | During the COVID-19 pandemic, applied behavior analysis services for many autistic individuals were transitioned to telehealth. The current study assessed caregiver-reported quality of life (QoL) and social validity for families of autistic children receiving only telehealth services (n = 96) or a combination of telehealth and in-person services (n = 173). Barriers to the telehealth experience were analyzed via an ANOVA, and the impact of funding source was analyzed using an independent samples t-test. Caregivers reported benefit across QoL and social validity items, with scores ranging from 3.31 to 4.44 (1 = least benefit, 5 = most benefit). While many caregivers reported no barriers regarding technology (44.61%), childcare (69.52%), and employment (64.68%), the presence of those barriers significantly impacted QoL and social validity scores. Funding source was not found to have a significant impact. Overall, caregivers found value in their child's telehealth services. Clinicians have an obligation to mitigate barriers to ensure the success of the intervention. |
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Keywords: | applied behavior analysis autism spectrum disorder patient-directed quality of life social validity telehealth |
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