522 - Visual Storyboard For Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients’ Dental Care

Visual schedules (VS) are a common method of teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on-task behavior by visually dividing the desired behaviors into a sequence of steps. Few studies have implemented VS in dentistry, so this pilot project’s purpose was to determine if a 10-step VS (pictorial cue board) aids individuals with ASD in completing a dental cleaning appointment.

Methods: Children ages 5+ with ASD diagnosis who previously never attempted or unsuccessfully attempted a dental prophylaxis and examination were selected for the pilot project. The dental cleaning visit was divided in to 10 steps and visual cue-cards created representing each step. Parents were provided cue-cards and instructed to rehearse the steps with their child at home prior to the appointment. During the cleaning visit, a board with all cue-cards was visible to the patient and related cue-cards were removed when a patient completed a step. The appointment was ended if a patient failed to complete a step five consecutive times, and the step and number of attempts were recorded. The primary outcome measures are the number of dental steps completed, and the number of attempts.

Results:  Five patients completed study, and participants successfully completed more steps in sequence at each subsequent visit and improved behavior was noted.

Conclusion: ASD patients can benefit from a visual schedule successfully complete more steps in a dental cleaning, progress at a quicker rate, and exhibit lower behavioral stress.