Occupational Therapy Outcome Measures in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Developmental pediatrics
• Autism spectrum disorder research

Background:

• Rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) necessitates effective early interventions for preschool children.
• Occupational therapy plays a key role in supporting children with ASD, requiring appropriate assessment tools.
• Standardized outcome measures are essential for evaluating intervention effectiveness in pediatric ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of outcome measures used in occupational therapy for preschool children with ASD.
• To map the focus of these outcome measures according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) components.
• To identify commonly used and potentially underutilized assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of literature from 2000 to 2022.
• Application of ICF linking rules to categorize identified outcome measures.
• Analysis of the distribution of measures across ICF components (body function, body structure, activity/participation, environmental factors).

Main Results:

• Seventy-four distinct outcome measures were identified for occupational therapy interventions in preschool children with ASD.
• Measures predominantly focused on body function and activity/participation.
• Limited emphasis was found on environmental factors, and no measures assessed body structure. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS-2), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) were most common.

Conclusions:

• A wide range of outcome measures exists for assessing children with ASD in occupational therapy.
• The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework can enhance evaluation by highlighting the importance of environmental factors.
• Future research should focus on developing and utilizing measures that capture environmental influences on participation for children with ASD.