Achieving Independence and Mastery in School: An Open Trial in the Outpatient Setting.
Leanne Tamm, Allison K Zoromski, Ellen E Kneeskern and 6 others
PMID 32809169WHAT IT FOUND
Middle schoolers with autism and their parents completed a 7-week clinic-based program teaching organization and study skills.
All 21 families finished the course. Parents reported large improvements in homework habits, while teachers noted modest gains in productivity and assignment completion.
Key findings
01All 21 enrolled participants completed the 7-week intervention and post-assessments, with high attendance and fidelity.
02Parents reported large effect sizes for improvements in homework completion and organization strategies, and moderate effects for task planning and materials management.
03Teachers reported moderate improvements in academic productivity and small improvements in organization and assignment completion rates.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was an open trial with no control group, so improvements cannot be definitively attributed to the intervention rather than time, development, or attention. The sample size was small (n=21) and lacked racial and socioeconomic diversity, limiting generalizability. Outcomes were based solely on rating scales; real-world academic metrics like grades or IEP goal attainment were not measured. Parent ratings may have been biased by their active involvement in the intervention, though teacher reports provided some independent corroboration.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported improvements as proof that AIMS-O causes these changes. Without a control group, natural developmental changes during middle school or the effects of receiving attention in a study setting could explain the gains.