Coaching While Waiting for Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment: A Pilot Feasibility Study for a Randomized Controlled Trial on Occupational Performance Coaching and Service Navigation

Abstract

Aim To determine whether short-phase Occupational Performance Coaching combined with service navigation support is feasible for families waiting for autism assessment. Method A pilot feasibility study was conducted using a blinded randomization procedure that allocated participants to one of three trial arms: (1) face-to-face coaching, (2) videoconference coaching, and (3) usual care. Outcomes included a retention aim of 70–80%, goal attainment and secondary standardised measures of adaptive behaviour, social skills, parenting stress, service access and family quality of life. Results Caregivers and children (n = 16, child mean age of 3 years 7 months) were recruited following referral for an autism assessment. Retention was 75%, with change scores in performance and satisfaction of selected goals higher in the intervention groups than the usual care group. Interpretation Findings support progression to a future randomized controlled trial assessing intervention efficacy.

Tele-Coaching Korean Parents for Improving Occupational Performance of Toddlers: Three Case Reports

“…Through OPC, parents reported that they learned better skills and strategies, gained insights into themselves and their children, and became more confident and calm [ 6 ]. OPC can be effective for children with occupational performance challenges, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and dyslexia [ 9 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Improvements by OPC were observed not only for the goals targeted in an intervention but also for goals that were not addressed, indicating a generalized effect [ 9 ].…”

“…Parent coaching can be delivered by various methods, such as in-person interventions [ 21 ], in-person services supplemented with phone sessions [ 5 , 14 ], and telehealth using videoconferencing [ 19 , 20 , 22 ]. A recent study explored the feasibility of OPC in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the intervention was delivered face-to-face or via the internet [ 16 ].…”

“…The parents in that study mentioned the advantages of online meetings, which included saving on travel time and showing the home environment. The effectiveness of OPC via videoconference for families of children with autism was comparable to that of face-to-face OPC [ 19 ]. Telehealth has become more emphasized in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 23 , 24 ].…”

“…These previous studies raised the possibility that OPC, which has not yet been applied in Korea, may enhance the occupational performance of Korean children and parents. Recent studies showed that OPC via videoconference was feasible [ 19 , 20 ], which implies the applicability of OPC-based tele-coaching in Korea. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether tele-coaching based on OPC could improve the occupational performance of Korean toddlers and parents.…”

“…Previous studies revealed the efficacy of OPC for children aged three years and older [ 9 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, no studies have applied OPC to children younger than three years of age.…”