Project Title

Video-based interventions for autistic children: an Evidence and Gap Map

Research Focus

Maternal and Child Health

Funder & Dates

Karen McConnell was part supported by the Health Research Board (Ireland) and the HSC Public Health Agency (Grant number CBES-2018-001) through Evidence Synthesis Ireland/Cochrane Ireland, March 2020 – present. 

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor (if PhD project)

Dr Ciara Keenan

Dr Karen McConnell

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

Dr Catherine Storey

Prof Allen Thurston

Name & Institution of Collaborators

Dr Catherine Storey

Name of External Partner Organisations

Bangor University, Wales

Description of Project:

Aim; Methods; Expected Outcomes

Background: Video-based interventions (VBIs) may be a promising approach to teach positive social behaviours to autistic children and despite an abundance of literature, we lack comprehensive evidence syntheses to provide insight on whether these interventions really do work, for whom, and in what circumstances.

Aim: To identify, map and synthesise existing primary studies on VBIs for autistic children, creating a live, searchable and publicly available Evidence and Gap Map (EGM).

Methods: Various information sources identified potentially relevant studies. Titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers using Eppi-Reviewer software. Potentially eligible PDFs were located and screened at full text and data were extracted by one of three reviewers. EPPI-Mapper was used to create the interactive EGM.

Results: We have graphically highlighted the gaps in evidence and areas of sufficient research for evidence syntheses allowing funders to direct resources accordingly. Please see the map for more information here.

Links/URLs to external pages, e.g., study webpage, reports, publications etc.

If you would like to follow project outputs, follow our OSF page here

This is part of a wider programme of work detailed in our research protocol that can be found here. 

Other relevant information

This is a database that collates research about Video-based interventions and their impact on the social skills of autistic children aged 3-18 years.

The project is managed, developed and maintained by researchers at Queen's University, Belfast and Bangor University, Wales.