Parent Perception of Child’s Behavior during the Initial Dental Visit among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate parent perception of behavior and level of cooperation to determine the success of a dental appointment with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (2) Methods: pre-treatment form, task analysis (TAS), and Frankl scale scores were extracted from patient charts. Values were calculated for patient demographics and other health characteristics (N = 235). Regression models were constructed to examine the success level during the first dental appointment (measured by TAS and Frankl scores) by several factors. (3) Results: The model to test patient characteristics: age, gender, ethnicity, and verbal communication, Hispanic ethnicity significantly predicted the TAS score, F (4, 191) = 2.45, p = 0.03 [95% CI −17.18, −3.53], and age significantly predicted the Frankl score, F (4, 194) = 5.17, p = 0.00 [95% CI 0.04, 0.12]. There was a significant association between parent perception of behavior and Frankl scores, F (2, 202) = 7.68, p = 0.00 [ 95% CI −0.11, −0.02]. (4) Conclusion: The results indicate that ethnicity and age play a role in successful outcomes during the dental appointment. Additionally, parent perception of their child’s behavior significantly predicted the Frankl score, thus coordinating with parents during the dental appointment can be a key factor in treatment planning for productive dental visits.