The use of electronic data collection systems in EIBI for children with autism.
Continuous data collection is a key feature of Early and Intensive Behavior Interventions for preschool children with autism. Collecting data on child progress and trainer skills. This collection is usually done by pen-and-paper systems, but as more powerful and user friendly electronic devices become available to more people the use of electronic devices will probably increase.
Tarbox and colleagues has published a study comparing the use of electronic data collection to traditional pen-and-paper data collection in discrete trail training, using the mTrail software. The authors points out several possible benefits of electronic data collection:
- electronic storage
- electronic analyzing
- easier to collect real time data
- easier to collect a wider variety of data
In their study they systematically compared three aspects of data collection; electronically vs pen-and-paper. Their study shows that participants used moor time collecting data electronically than with pen and paper, the accuracy in data collection was slightly better using pen-and-paper, but the time graphing data was shorter using electronically data collection.
This i somewhat surprising as one of the main reasons for using electronic devices to collect data is to do it faster, better and more accurate. But of course this study is limited by the number of participants (4), and one software (the mTrail). And the participants had significant more experience doing pen-and-paper data collection. But it is great to see that this aspect of EIBI is systematically investigated, and future studies on this area may show different results.
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