Tara Sheehan, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are an underserved population. Barriers to oral health care include interfering behaviors and a lack of qualified providers. Research indicates that dentists who have more training in working with patients with ASD are more likely to provide treatment to the population. The Behavior Clinic Plan is a tool that can be utilized to assist dentists in planning effective behavior guidance for patients on the autism spectrum. Patient information is visually organized in the Behavior Clinic Plan allowing the provider to easily access clinically relevant information for treatment decisions and progression of treatment compliance. The Behavior Clinic Plan template prompts the user to document the individualized behavior management strategies to be implemented for that visit including patient seating, sensory accommodations, visual supports, distractions, and rewards. Participants will learn to use the Behavior Clinic Plan template as a tool to scaffold the development of effective behavior clinic planning for pediatric patients with ASD. Sample Behavior Clinic Plans will be reviewed with participants to demonstrate the structure, content, and clinical utility of the tool. The benefits of collaborating with ABA professionals to support patient behavior during dental visits and at home oral health care will be discussed. Additionally, methods for increasing engagement and support from ABA professionals will be presented.
Source of Funding:: This research was supported by HRSA Award Number D88HP20126. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA. There are no conflicts to report.
