Abstract
The purpose was to compare time processing and daily time management in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ages 10–15 years. The findings indicate that professionals need to provide support for children with ASD to support improved daily time management.
Primary Author and Speaker: Gunnel Janeslätt
Additional Authors and Speakers: Birgitta Wennberg
Contributing Authors: Annika Sköld
The purpose of the research project was to compare time processing and daily time management in children with and without spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 10 - 15 years. Children with disabilities have an increased risk of lagging behind their peers in the development of time processing and time management in everyday life, which can have major consequences on schoolwork, home life and leisure time. Children with ASD have difficulties in daily activities related to time i.e starting and finalizing activities and switching from one activity to another. Time assistive devices and training can compensate for these difficulties, but for that, knowledge about the children’s time processing and the daily time management are needed. Children with disabilities like Spina bifida have a lower level of time processing and daily time management than their typically developing peers. Corresponding knowledge for children with ASD is lacking. This is a descriptive and comparative cross-sectional study, based on a convenience sample. Participants were children with ASD (n=199) and typically developing children (n=809) aged 10-15. Data was collected with an objective instrument, Kit for Assessment of Time processing ability (KaTid®-Youth). Daily time management was rated by the parents using Time-P© 10 – 17 years. Analyzes were made with descriptive statistics, average values with standard deviation/year in age and comparative statistics. Preliminary results show a significant difference in time processing and in daily time management between children with ASD and typically developing children aged 10 – 15 years. The results provide increased knowledge about time processing and parent-estimated daily time management in children with and without ASD. The knowledge can provide guidance for professionals to provide adequate support to children with ASD for increased daily time management, possibly leading to increased independence and participation in their everyday life.
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Sköld, A., & Janeslatt, G. (2016). Self-Rating of Daily Time Management in children: Psychometric properties of the Time-S. SCandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2016.1185465
Janeslätt, G., Kottorp, A., & Granlund, M. (2014). Evaluating intervention with time aids in children with disabilities. Scand J Occup Ther. 21(3), 181-190. https://doi.org/10.3109/11038128.2013.870225
Persson, M., Janeslätt, G., & Peny-Dahlstrand, M. (2017). Daily time management in children with spina bifida. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 10(Special issue, 3, 4), 295-302. https://doi.org/10.3233/PRM-170459