Social Script iPad Application Versus Usual Care Before Undergoing Medical Imaging: Two Case Studies of Children With Autism

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders of socialization, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Children with ASD have underlying anxiety leading to challenging behaviors in unfamiliar situations. The anxiety impacts timely completion of an imaging procedure. The purpose of the case study was to describe the process of the social script intervention delivered using the iPad application on parent and child anxiety, child behaviors, and imaging procedure length between two parent and child dyads. The case study of two parent-child dyads demonstrated the process for comparing the social script intervention iPad app for preparing for imaging versus usual care. Parent anxiety decreased more for the parent with the intervention. Computerized tomographic scan length of time to hold still decreased more for child with the intervention. There were fewer challenging child behaviors for child with the intervention. The results guide development of larger study, with the potential to mitigate the negative experiences for a child with ASD and the family during imaging.