Digital Health Technologies Empower Family-Mediated Interventions for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review
摘要
The developmental characteristics of autistic children underscore the pivotal importance of family-mediated interventions during their therapeutic process. Digital health technologies offer advantages in efficiency, flexibility, and personalization, which can aid caregivers in effectively carrying out family-mediated interventions. A comprehensive understanding of current application status is essential to provide references for future research and practice.
MethodsFollowing the methodology of scoping review, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, CNKI, Sinomed, and Wanfang Database. The search was limited to studies published from March 2015 to March 2025. Descriptive analyses were performed based on the research questions and objectives.
ResultsThe initial search identified 1,163 studies, with 36 ultimately included. The technology types supporting family-mediated interventions through digital health technologies included mobile applications, augmented reality applications, video conferencing, online websites, speech-generating devices, virtual reality, robots, and wearables. Among caregiver-focused applications, digital health technologies were most frequently used for caregiver training, while for autistic children, the primary application was improving social communication skills. The efficacy of digital health technologies in supporting family-mediated interventions showed generally positive outcomes, but there were also some challenges in the implementation process.
ConclusionThere remains substantial potential to further integrate digital health technologies into family-mediated interventions. Future research should focus on enhancing the quality and sustainability of these interventions, employing more rigorous study designs and standardized evaluation approaches to comprehensively assess outcomes for autistic children and their caregivers.