Piloting a Home Visual Support Intervention with Families of Autistic Children and Children with Related Needs Aged 0-12.

Researchers tested a program where professionals visited families at home to help them use visual supports (like picture schedules and communication boards) with their autistic children. 29 families participated, and parents reported better quality of life and felt their children's difficulties were more manageable after the program. Parents also felt more confident using visual supports and had better access to helpful resources. The home visit approach was well-received by families.

This pilot study evaluated a home-based visual supports intervention for 29 families with autistic children aged 3-12 years. Parents received individualized assessment and intervention through home visits, with pre- and post-measures collected. The intervention demonstrated significant improvements in parent-reported quality of life (p=0.005) and perception of autism-specific difficulties (p=0.006). Parents reported improved access to resources, increased confidence using visual supports, and strong support for the home visit model.

Qualitative methods explored parent experiences. The study provides initial evidence for the acceptability, practicality, and utility of home-based visual support interventions, suggesting outreach into family homes may be beneficial for delivering visual support interventions.

Home-based delivery of visual supports training shows promise for improving family outcomes and parent confidence. This model may address access barriers families face in traditional clinic settings. Results support further investigation through larger controlled trials to establish effectiveness and inform service delivery models.

Small sample size (n=29) limits generalizability. Pilot study design provides preliminary evidence only. No control group mentioned for comparison. Limited details on intervention components and duration. Reliance on parent-reported outcomes may introduce bias.

Visual supports are an important intervention for autistic individuals and others with neurodevelopmental differences. However, families often report limited access to visual supports and lack of information and confidence in their use at home. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a home-based visual supports intervention. 29 families with children (n = 20 males; mean age 6.59 years [Range 3.64-12.21 years SD 2.57]) receiving support for autism or related needs participated in the study. Parents engaged in an individualised assessment and intervention process through home visits, completing pre- and post-measures.

Qualitative methods were used to explore the parents' experiences of the intervention. The intervention led to a statistically significant improvement in parent-reported quality of life (t28 = 3.09,= 0.005) and parent-reported perception of autism-specific difficulties (t28 = 2.99,= 0.006). Parents also reported improved access to resources and relevant information and increased confidence in using visual supports at home. The home visit model was strongly supported by the parents.

The results provide initial evidence of the acceptability, practicality, and utility of the home-based visual supports intervention. These findings suggest that outreach into the family home may be a beneficial mechanism for delivering interventions related to visual supports. This study highlights the potential of home-based interventions to improve access to resources and information for families and the importance of visual supports in the home setting.