Oral health care guidance to enhance parent confidence and ability to improve toothbrushing performance for autistic children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Oral health care guidance to enhance parent confidence and ability to improve toothbrushing performance for autistic children.
IRAS ID
331171
Contact name
Jennifer Parry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 1 days
Research summary
Parents of autistic children have reported a lack of understanding by oral health care staff around delivery of oral health preventive habits for their children.
This study aims to investigate if oral healthcare training utilising the Mini Mouth Care Matters (MCM) programme designed for Special Education Settings (SES) enhances parent confidence in their ability to influence their child’s oral health, increases toothbrushing episodes and reduces challenging toothbrushing behaviour of autistic children.
The participants of this study will be parents of children who have a confirmed professional diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Parents will be recruited via healthcare professionals who provide oral health promotion within SES.
Special Education Settings will be randomised into one of two groups. Group one will receive 'delivering better oral health' advice. Group two will receive the MCM user intervention guide for oral healthcare.
A maximum of 30 parents will be recruited into each intervention arm. A maximum of 60 parents will be recruited to the study.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EM/0277
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jan 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion