Supporting children with ASD during their participation in ADLs

The development of an app for parents

Abstract

Introduction: Children with ASD are characterized by atypical responses to sensory stimuli, which have an impact on involvement and functional participation. Goals: This study describes the several steps of an app development that intends to help families to regulate children with ASD aged 3-6 years old through the application of sensory strategies to improve participation in daily routines in home setting. Material and Methods: To develop and analyze the content of the app, a study was performed by a focus group formed by four occupational therapists with several years of experience in working with children with ASD and with specialized training in Sensory Integration Therapy. A collaboration was established with the Department of Computer Engineering of Polytechnic of Leiria, and through biweekly meetings it was possible to develop the entire configuration and programming of the app. Results: “Regul-A” is the name assigned to the app, since it has the main purpose to help parents regulate children with ASD. The results cover the various sensory strategies selected by the focus group, as well as the structure of the app. Conclusions: It is believed that the “Regul-A” app will become a potential tool to gather, analyze and manage children's data related to their occupational performance facilitating the implementation of strategies and the sharing of information between parents and occupational therapists.