Teaching basic life support to children with autism spectrum disorder: A novel pictogram-based approach

Abstract

Background Survival after cardiac arrest depends on timely bystander basic life support (BLS), yet children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often excluded from BLS training strategies. This study assessed a pictogram-based, narrative approach using simulation to teach BLS to children with ASD. Method A quasiexperimental pretest/post-test design was conducted with a sample of eight children aged 8-12 years recruited from the Galician Autism Federation - ASPERGA Association. The intervention consisted of a 50-minute pictogram-based BLS simulation training, with participants assessed on their ability to perform the BLS sequence and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a scenario-based cardiac arrest. Results Baseline assessments revealed inadequate proficiency in performing fundamental steps of the BLS sequence. Following targeted training, substantial improvements were noticeable, particularly in victim response (p = .010), airway opening (p = .015), and the look-listen-feel manoeuvre (p = .014). Nevertheless, challenges persisted in ventilation performance and overall cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality. Conclusion A pictogram-based simulation approach is a feasible strategy for teaching BLS to children with ASD. These children demonstrate the ability to learn and perform BLS with comparable proficiency to their peers without functional diversity.