Visual Schedule System in Dental Care for Patients with Autism: A Pilot Study
Abstract
Objectives: A pilot study to test whether a visual schedule system using picture communication symbols can help children with autism have successful routine dental cleaning visits. Study Design: 14 boys with autism between three- to eight-years-old presented to the dental clinic for four weekly consecutive dental appointments. Patients were randomly assigned to either the control group who received the tell-show-do method (i.e., standard of care), or the test group who received the tell-show-do method plus the visual schedule system. Results: Patients in the test group completed an average of 1.38 more steps, at 35.52 seconds per step faster, and with 18.7% lower levels of behavioral distress than those in the control group. Conclusion: The use of a visual schedule system, along with repeated weekly visits, showed some promise in helping children with autism successfully complete more steps, progress at a quicker rate, and exhibit lower levels of behavioral distress within a dental appointment, compared to a traditional tell-show-do approach.
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When dental appointment steps were demonstrated by dental visual aids in addition to tell-show-do, children's behavior distress level was lower than in children who received tell-show-do only, as measured by physiological arousal levels.
“Moreover, when dental appointment steps were demonstrated by dental visual aids in addition to TSD, it was found that the child's behavior distress level was lower when measured by physiological arousal levels in children who received dental visual aids than in children who received TSD-only. 15”
From Culturally Adapted Dental Visual Aids Effect on Behavior Management during Dental Visits in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. (2024) · cites this paper as [15]
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References 25 · Cited by 56
- Authors
- Mah, J. W., & Tsang, P.
- Corresponding author
- Mah, Janet WT
- ORCID
- Mah, Janet WT
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry
- Publisher
- MRE Press
- Published
- 2016-06-01
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 393-399
- ISSN
- 0145-5508 (ISSN-L)
- 1053-4628
- 1557-5268
- OpenAlex
- W2519899544
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 0.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Oral Surgery › Dental Anxiety and Anesthesia Techniques
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Dental Health and Care Utilization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, children with autism, dental care, Picture Communication Symbols, behavioral distress, dental anxiety, pediatric dentistry
- MeSH terms
- Arousal, Audiovisual Aids, Autistic Disorder, Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Communication Devices for People with Disabilities, Cooperative Behavior, Cues, Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities, Dental Prophylaxis, Dentist-Patient Relations, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Male, Pilot Projects, Stress, Psychological, Time Factors
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