Improvement of executive function in children with autism through Home Playtime Program

Executive dysfunction has shown to be the shared property of many cognitive symptoms seen in autism. The Home Playtime Program (HPP) is a home-based tele-cognitive rehabilitation for targeting executive dysfunction in children with autism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and effectively of this intervention.

This study followed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design without group control. Seventeen parents of children with autism aged 24-55 months (Mean=37, SD=9.1) were selected from Tehran Autism Center using available sampling method. Correspondingly, they received the HPP for 10 weeks. Preschool Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-parent form and A-Not-B test were used to measure executive function in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. Also, the Therapy Attitude Inventory (TAI) was completed by parents to assess their satisfaction with therapy. Persian version of Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test was applied to the children at the onset of the study. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analyses.

The findings indicated that the components of executive functions: inhibition, working memory, planning/organizing, inhibition self-control, flexibility and metacognition were significantly improved at post-test (P<0.05). These positive changes, were not only sustained until follow-up, but also, some emotional control and change were even improved during the follow-up stage (P<0.05). The parents were highly satisfied with the intervention.

The current work provides some evidence in favor of the acceptability, feasibility and affectivity of the HPP on the executive functions of children with autism. In addition, it can easily be used under the current Coronavirus outbreak. Our service is ongoing, while the center is closed. Like many home-based interventions, the HPP shown to be ecologically valid and economically affordable. Thus, the HPP could be considered as a valuable inversion for executive dysfunction seen in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.