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Training children with autism spectrum disorder to undergo oral assessment using a digital iPad® application

  • Original Scientific Article
  • Published:
European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Aim

To present a training programme for teaching children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to be compliant with a dental examination.

Methods

Fifty-two children and adolescents with ASD (age range 3–19 years) with a parent-signed consent form were enrolled. Dental examinations were performed once a month in education centres by a paediatric dentist using a visual activity schedule on an iPad® that was created with a digital application, çATED. Achievement and anxiety were evaluated using scales and grids every 2 months for 8 months.

Results

Showed an improvement in oral assessment; the children became compliant and less anxious. The percentage of individuals who underwent the entire dental exam process increased over time; it was 25% at the beginning of the study and 65.4% after 8 months. Only 7.7% of the sample was not anxious at the beginning, while 59.6% of the sample was not anxious after 8 months. Wilcoxon analysis also showed significant improvement in the studied variables.

Conclusions

Training children and adolescents with ASD to undergo dental examination was efficient. The use of the iPad® is attractive and easy for practitioners and people with ASD.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the International Foundation of Applied Disability Research (FIRAH). We would like to express our gratitude to the çATED-autisme team. The authors would like to thank children, parents and professionals who participated to the “çATED pour tes dents” program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Recherche en Education de Nantes, EA2661, Chemin de la Censive du Tertre, BP 81227, 44312, Nantes Cedex 3, France

    G. Lefer, P. Bourdon & S. Lopez Cazaux

  2. Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, 1 Place Alexis Ricordeau, BP, 44042, Nantes Cedex 1, France

    A. Rouches & S. Lopez Cazaux

  3. Ecole Supérieure du Professorat et de l’Education, 4 Chemin de Launay Violette, 44300, Nantes, France

    P. Bourdon

  4. Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Nantes, 1 Place Alexis-Ricordeau, 44093, Nantes Cedex 1, France

    S. Lopez Cazaux

Authors
  1. G. Lefer
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  2. A. Rouches
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  3. P. Bourdon
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  4. S. Lopez Cazaux
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Lopez Cazaux.

Ethics declarations

Ethical standards

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

For this study, written informed consent was obtained from all parents of children and adolescents included in the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Lefer, G., Rouches, A., Bourdon, P. et al. Training children with autism spectrum disorder to undergo oral assessment using a digital iPad® application. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 20, 113–121 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-018-0398-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-018-0398-9

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