P3B175: A Video-based Bridge to ABA - In Process CATCH Grant

Background: Approximately one in 36 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the fastest growing developmental disability. Core characteristics of ASD include communication impairment, difficulties with social interactions, restrictive interests, and behavioral challenges. Diagnosis is often delayed, especially in non-White and non-English-speaking children. Early therapeutic intervention at the time of greatest neuroplasticity has been proven to improve symptoms of ASD and lead to better functional outcomes. While Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy has been shown to be effective for children with ASD, it is difficult to access, with long delays between the time of referral and establishing care. During this time, families may struggle with knowing how to best support their child with autism.

Project Description: In order to improve families’ understanding of ABA services, and to provide timely and practical support to caregivers of children with ASD, we created a web-based video series that demonstrates hands-on behavior support strategies.
With funding from a Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Grant, we conducted a needs assessment by interviewing seven families of children with ASD and four ABA providers. We identified common knowledge gaps. Physicians with expertise in caring for children with ASD, pediatric trainees, and ABA providers jointly developed scripts to address four core topics:
1. Introduction to ABA
2. How to Access ABA
3. Visual Schedules
4. Principles of Behavior Management
Families, ABA providers, and a videographer were compensated for their time. Filming was completed between February 2021 and February 2023, with delays imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussion: Families expressed difficulties in accessing ABA, including long delays in service initiation and high provider turnover with subsequent gaps in services. By creating a video-based series, this project innovatively provides useful and timely information and techniques to caregivers facing barriers to accessing care. Focus groups amplified caregiver voices and informed the content of the videos. Partnership with local ABA providers and support organizations strengthened existing community relationships. Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic on the implementation of this CATCH grant, filming of all four videos was successful and featured diverse caregivers and providers to match the diversity within our community.

Conclusion: Once editing is completed, the videos will be shown to caregivers during primary care clinic visits. Additionally, videos will be uploaded to YouTube and our clinic website in order to be freely accessible to the general public. We hope that this project can empower caregivers with tools and techniques they can implement with their child with confirmed or suspected ASD while waiting for services to begin, or during gaps in care such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently the videos are only available in English, but we hope to translate videos into other languages commonly spoken within our community.