457 - Visual Support App for Pediatric Dental Patients with Autism: Pilot

Purpose: The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of an electronic support schedule to help children with ASD successfully complete a routine dental visit.

Methods: The Visual Support Schedule App will be used for behavior management on a randomized crossover study with a sample of 12 new patients recruited with ASD that are scheduled for dental examination at NSU’s Mailman Segal Center. Data will be collected regarding the number of tasks the patient can complete, and the time required for their completion. The level of stress that patients experience during the dental visit will be measured using biological markers (i.e., heart rate and salivary cortisol). Also, the perception of the patient’s behavior by parents and an applied behavior analytic therapist (ABA) will be measured using a Likert and Frankl scale. Descriptive statistics will be calculated for all study variables.

Results: Results pending.

Conclusion: We expect that our findings will show a positive improvement in behavior during dental visits with the use of the electronic visual support.