Analysis of scores in the Childhood Autism Rating Scale of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder before and after intervention with the method - Development of Communication Skills in Autism

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze changes in autism classification after intervention with the Development of Communication Skills in Autism (DHACA method) in children assessed with the Childhood Autism Classification Scale. Methods: a quantitative analysis study applying the Childhood Autism Rating Scale before and after 20 speech-language-hearing sessions, using the DHACA method with 14 nonverbal or minimally verbal children, of both sexes, aged 2 to 6 years, presented with autism spectrum disorder. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify the normality pattern, and the Wilcoxon test to compare measures of central tendency of the items assessed by the scale before and after the intervention, with a p-value < 0.05 (5%) considered significant. Results: the level of autism support needs in the sample decreased after the intervention. The largest sample group classified by the scale before the intervention was “Moderate Autism” (42.86%), followed by “Severe Autism” and “Mild Autism”, both with 28.57%. After the intervention, most groups had scores equivalent to “Mild Autism” (64.29%), followed by “No Autism” (21.43%), “Moderate Autism” and “Severe Autism”, both with 7.14%. Conclusion: implementing the DHACA method helped develop communication, cognitive, and behavioral skills and decreased the level of autism support needs in this sample of children.