Closing the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Conceptualisation of a School-Based Intervention to Improve the School Participation of Primary School Students on the Autism Spectrum and Their Typically Developing Peers.
Amy Hodges, Reinie Cordier, Annette Joosten and 1 others
PMID 34862953WHAT IT FOUND
In My Shoes is a school-based intervention designed to improve participation for autistic students and their peers.
It combines teacher training, whole-class lessons, peer support, and parent handouts. It has not yet been tested for effectiveness, so it is a resource to consider, not a proven treatment.
Key findings
01The intervention was developed through a multi-stage process involving literature reviews, focus groups with parents and educators, and a Delphi study with experts to refine content and feasibility.
02The resulting program, In My Shoes, is a 10-week curriculum embedded intervention targeting school participation for autistic students aged 8-10 and their typically developing peers.
03The intervention has not yet been tested for effectiveness; the next step is a feasibility study in mainstream primary schools.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a description of intervention development, not a trial. There is no evidence yet that the intervention improves student outcomes. The feedback on resources came from a small number of parents (11) and educators (10), recruited via convenience and snowball sampling, which may limit generalizability. Students on the autism spectrum did not provide feedback on the resources prior to this publication; this input is planned for after the feasibility study. The theoretical model and intervention were developed by the research team, which may introduce bias in the selection of components and interpretation of literature.
Declared interests
The primary author is a registered occupational therapist with clinical experience in this area. The paper does not list external funding sources or specific conflicts of interest declarations for the other authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this intervention is effective or evidence-based. It is a newly developed resource that has only undergone feasibility and acceptability testing with stakeholders, not clinical trials measuring student outcomes.