Construction of a family empowerment intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder based on the TTM theory

ObjectiveTo construct a family empowerment intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change, focusing on the core concept of family empowerment and emphasizing the discovery of children's strengths and the cultivation of family autonomy from the perspective of neurodiversity. MethodsFrom February to August 2025, the initial draft of the family empowerment program for children with ASD was formulated based on the theory of behavior change by integrating evidence-based and qualitative interview methods in Zhuhai Center for Maternal and Child Health Care. Using the Delphi method, 15 experts in the fields of medical treatment, rehabilitation and nursing care for ASD were selected. Three rounds of questionnaire inquiries were conducted via email and Tencent Meeting. Finally, the ASD children's family empowerment plan was formulated. ResultsThe effective recovery rate of the three rounds of expert questionnaire was 100.00%. The Cr value was 0.966. The Kendall's W value was 0.788. The results of the third round of inquiry were as follows: the importance score for the first-level items ranged from 4.58 to 5.00, from 4.51 to 4.88 for the second-level items, and from 4.50 to 4.88 for the third-level items, CV ＜ 0.25. The final constructed ASD children's family empowerment program includes: the pre-intention stage, intention stage, preparation stage, action stage, and maintenance stage, consisting of 5 first-level items, 20 second-level items, and 49 third-level items. ConclusionsThe construction process of this plan is rigorous and highly scientific and reliable. From the perspective of neurodiversity, it focuses on the core concept of family empowerment, emphasizing the discovery of children's strengths and the cultivation of family autonomy. It has formed support service items for different stages and different dimensions, with detailed content and widespread applicability. It can provide references for clinical medical staff and caregivers.