Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. We explored and identified relationships among gastro-intestinal (GI) factors (i.e., stool status, abdominal pain, and diet status) and social behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the association of GI factors and social behaviors and symptomatology may one day be useful in informing development or enhancement of social–behavioral intervention strategies for children with ASD with reported positive GI factors of stool status and abdominal pain. Primary Author and Speaker: Consuelo Kreider Additional Authors and Speakers: Sharon Mburu Contributing Authors: Sanja Dizdarevic, Jennifer H. Elder

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are associated with co-morbidities such as gastrointestinal (GI) symptomatology, which in the absence of known causes are potential indicators of gut microbiota that may influence behavior. This study’s purpose was to explore relationships among clinical GI indicators—diet, abdominal pain, and stool status—and ASD symptom severity, specifically social and sensory symptoms. Participants were 33 children with ASD, 3 to 16 years. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2) and the Child Sensory Profile Scale (CSP-2) were used to appraise social and sensory symptomatology. Significant difference was found in overall SRS-2, t(31) = −3.220, p = 0.003 when compared by abdominal pain status using independent samples t-tests. Significant difference was observed for overall CSP-2, t(31) = −2.441, p = 0.021, when grouped by stool. The three clinical GI variables predicted overall SRS-2 score using multiple linear regression, F(3, 32) = 3.257, p = 0.036; coefficient for abdominal pain significantly contributed to the outcome. Findings contribute to the growing literature signaling the need to understand occurrence of GI symptomatology more deeply, and in consideration of diet status and its implications in the children’s everyday lives, behaviors, and symptom severity.

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Group interventions have been shown to improve soft skills, a common barrier to employment for individuals with autism. Although telehealth shows promise as a service delivery method, published research on telehealth soft-skills interventions for this population is lacking. Thus, this study explored differences between face-to-face and hybrid delivery of a group soft-skills intervention for young adults with autism. Results detail potential benefits of telehealth-delivered OT. Primary Author and Speaker: Annemarie Connor Contributing Authors: Sanja Dizdarevic, Isayda Gonzalez, Zoey Knece, and Hannah Koedam