CHANGES IN CARS SCORES AND SHORT SENSORY PROFILE IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN INVOLVED IN PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES – A PILOT STUDY

Objective: Considering the investment in time, expertise and financial resources in the management of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), monitoring effectiveness of various approaches becomes of paramount importance. This repeated measures study evaluated the effectiveness of an individually tailored psychoeducational treatment protocol for ASD.

Methods: Fourty children, 3–5 years, meeting DSM-IV criteria, were enrolled in long-term (1–3 year) intervention program, by the same team, applying O/T, speech, social skills therapy, sensory integration techniques, parental teaching and support. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was used to quantify severity. Changes in scores were followed for monitoring progress. The Short Sensory Profile (SSP) was used as a secondary outcome measure. First hypothesis was that therapy results in better CARS and SSP scores and was tested by T-test (repeated measures design). Second hypothesis was that improvement in scores was related to pre-treatment severity of ASD by CARS, the SSP and hours of therapy per week and was tested by regression analysis.

Results: All children improved in CARS. Of 26 in severe autistic category, 16(55%) remained severe, 8(28%) moved to mildly-moderately autistic and 5(17%) to non-autistic. Of 14 in mildly-moderately autistic, 55% moved to non-autistic. All SSP scores, except for those remaining in severe CARS category, improved. Differences on CARS and SSP scores before and after therapy were significant (p<0.001). The only significant predictor of outcome was CARS severity level before therapy (p<0.001). Neither SSP scores, nor hours of therapy per week proved significant.

Conclusion: Analysis suggested that parents and therapists believe that there was improvement in ASD severity and sensory profiles with treatment. Degree of improvement was related to pre-treatment ASD severity.