The Interactive Trauma Scale: A Web-Based Measure for Children with Autism.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Trauma is prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Accurate assessment of trauma exposure and symptoms in youth with ASD is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing assessment methods may present challenges for children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and psychometric properties of a novel web-based touchscreen app for assessing self-reported trauma in children with ASD.
• To determine the usability and user satisfaction of the app prototype.
• To examine the app's sensitivity and validity in detecting trauma exposure and symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A prototype web-based touchscreen application was developed to assess trauma exposure and symptoms.
• The app was piloted with 20 clinically referred children diagnosed with ASD and known trauma exposures.
• Feasibility, acceptability, user satisfaction, and ease of use were assessed.
• Psychometric properties, including sensitivity and validity (compared to UCLA PTSD Reaction Index), were examined.

Main Results:

• The app prototype demonstrated high user satisfaction and ease of use.
• The measure was sensitive to reported teasing (75%) and bullying (70%) among participants.
• Preliminary validity was supported through comparisons with a standardized measure and analysis of trauma-symptom relationships.

Conclusions:

• The web-based touchscreen app is a feasible and acceptable tool for assessing trauma in children with ASD.
• The app shows promise for improving trauma screening, diagnosis, and treatment planning for traumatized youth with ASD.
• Further research is warranted to validate the app in larger, diverse populations.