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ToolsShapter, Sophie, Carroll, Amy and Roberts, Kate (2025) Clinician opinions regarding the usefulness of the BOSA for ASD assessment in a service for children aged under 12 years. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55 (2). pp. 727-738. ISSN 0162-3257
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing policies forced healthcare teams to drastically alter the way they deliver services. This was particularly challenging for clinicians involved in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as assessment tools and methods required face-to-face social interactions between clinicians and children. To address this, the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA) was developed to ensure that people suspected of ASD can receive diagnostic assessments during the pandemic. This project aimed to explore clinicians’ opinions on the BOSA, particularly regarding the usefulness of the assessment for clinicians to clarify diagnostic outcomes of ASD assessments. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered within an NHS community paediatric team. This included a questionnaire for clinicians to complete, and data from the BOSA assessments done in the service. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics revealed that many clinicians felt that the BOSA can be beneficial in certain cases, such as selective mutism, and found the BOSA particularly helpful for observing parent–child interactions. These findings highlighted important information that the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS-2) does not give opportunities to observe. Clinicians reported that at times, the BOSA materials, brevity and parental administration created barriers to gathering information for diagnostic decisions. As may be expected, clinicians showed a clear preference for the more familiar and validated ADOS-2. However, the study highlights perceived limitations of the ADOS-2 and strengths of the BOSA, with recommendations made for future practice and research.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Funding: No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | ados-2,autism spectrum disorder,bosa,covid-19 pandemic,telemedicine,developmental and educational psychology ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3200/3204 |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Jul 2025 09:30 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Jul 2025 09:30 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/99839 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-023-06207-z |
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