A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Daily Living Skills Intervention for Adolescents with Autism.
Amie Duncan, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Lisa A Ruble and 2 others
PMID 33835354WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with autism who completed a 15-week daily living skills program showed significant improvements in hygiene and self-care compared to a waitlist group.
Both groups improved in cooking and laundry over time, suggesting natural development or home practice also helps.
Key findings
01The treatment group showed significant gains in overall daily living skills and the Personal subdomain (hygiene, self-care) compared to the waitlist control group.
02Both the treatment and waitlist groups showed significant improvements in domestic skills (cooking, laundry) and money management over time, with no difference between groups for these areas.
03Waitlist participants who crossed over to receive the intervention showed significant and rapid gains in all measured daily living skill areas.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small, with only 12 dyads randomized and 10 completing the intervention, limiting the generalizability and statistical power of the findings. All primary outcome measures relied on parent report, and parents were aware of their group assignment, which introduces potential bias. The study did not correct for multiple comparisons, increasing the risk of false positive findings. The waitlist control group was not a true no-treatment control for all outcomes, as both groups improved in several skill areas, suggesting that time, maturation, or unmeasured home practice contributed to gains. Only four waitlist participants crossed over to receive treatment, so the replication results are based on a very small subgroup.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by a grant from the Organization for Autism Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the significant gains in cooking, laundry, and money management were caused by the STRW intervention, as the waitlist control group showed similar improvements without receiving the treatment. This suggests these skills may develop naturally or through general home practice, and the intervention's specific effect was only clearly demonstrated for hygiene and self-care.