[Interventions centered on children with autism spectrum disorder and/or their families: a scoping review].

UNLABELLED: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition where early intervention has a key role in the development of children. In Chile, the enactment of the new ASD law highlights the need to promote research that supports evidence-based decision-making applied to the Chilean context.

OBJECTIVE

To describe interventions focused on children with ASD and/or their families that are documented in scientific and gray literature in Chile.

METHODS

This scoping review included databases and university repositories, following the protocol proposed by Arksey & O'Malley, later extended by Levac and the Joanna Briggs Institute. The review was complemented by the evidence assessment proposed by the University of North Carolina (Relevance, Reliability, Validity, and Applicability).

RESULTS

Eight articles and eight theses were included. Evidence on interventions for children with ASD and/or their families is limited but increasing. Intervention programs used are usually based on music and art therapy (n = 6), use of technologies (n = 3), behavioral approaches (n = 3), or developmental approaches (n = 2). Although they show promising results, they should be carefully considered as the quality of the evidence is low.

CONCLUSIONS

Research using rigorous methodological designs should be encouraged when evaluating interventions for the ASD population within the Chilean context, and promote the use of promising interventions, such as Developmental-Based Approaches or Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions.