The Role of Applied Behavior Analysis to Improve Knowledge on Oral Hygiene Practices among Cooperative Autistic Children: A Cross-Sectional Study from Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve knowledge regarding oral hygiene practices among cooperative autistic children. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 15 children between the age group of 6–12 years and their parents who were randomly chosen from a special care autistic school in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A mobile application was custom designed and programmed with videos on oral hygiene. A close-ended questionnaire comprising 14 questions for the cooperative autistic children and 21 questions for their parents was designed to assess their knowledge in relation to oral health and hygiene. After four weeks, a questionnaire-based knowledge assessment was conducted. The mean knowledge score was then calculated for children and their parents and compared using paired sample t-test. Results. Poor knowledge regarding oral hygiene practices was revealed among the study participants. The estimated mean score among the children was 4.73 before the intervention, which significantly increased to 9.0. The estimated mean score for the parents was 9.3 before intervention and 14.6 after four weeks’ period (P<0.0001). Conclusion. The application of ABA using avatars and delivered through videos can significantly improve knowledge regarding oral health hygiene among cooperative autistic children.