Evaluating an eHealth case management system in an intensive behavioural intervention program

Abstract

EIBI is a treatment program designed to increase adaptive behaviour and decrease maladaptive behaviours for children with ASD. The current standard of data collection used by EIBI programs is paper-and-pencil. Participants were three Autism Consultants and one Autism Senior Tutor currently employed in a large, community-based EIBI program. Differences between accuracy of collecting DTT and challenging behaviour data using paper-and-pencil and an eHealth tool (TNAC®) were examined. Questions regarding the social validity of both methods of data collection were also examined. There were no substantial differences between collecting DTT and challenging behaviour data using paper-and-pencil or TNAC®. However, respondents indicated in the social validity questionnaires that, overall, paper-and-pencil was the preferred method to collect data across all categories. These findings suggest that using an eHealth tool for data collection could provide benefits to an EIBI program if the social validity components are addressed.