Development and validation of an educational application for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36517/2175-6783.20262796440Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder; Mobile Applications; Health Education; Nursing.Abstract
Objective: to develop and validate the content of a prototype health educational application intended for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: methodological study developed in two stages: requirements gathering for prototype construction and content validation by specialists. Validation was carried out by 50 health specialists using the Content Validity Index, with a four-point Likert scale and a cutoff point of ≥ 0.80. Results: the application showed high content validity indices, with agreement ranging from 94% to 100% in the Objectives domain, from 92% to 100% in Structure and Presentation, and from 96% to 98% in Relevance. Confidence intervals were narrow (0.81–1.00), indicating precision of the estimates. Considering all evaluated items, the instrument’s overall content validity index was 0.97. Conclusion: the application showed valid, clear, and relevant content, with potential to support caregivers and strengthen home care. Contributions to practice: the application can be used as a complementary resource to educational actions developed by nurses and other professionals who follow children with autism and their families.
Downloads
References
1. World Health Organization (WHO). Autism [Internet]. 2025 [cited Jan 28, 2026]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders
2. Souza ALA, Ramos ASP, Massuda SI. Empregabilidade de adultos autistas no Brasil: evidências do censo 2022 e desigualdades estruturais. Lumen Virtus. 2025;16(50):9590-609. doi: https://doi.org/10.56238/levv16n50-102
3. Gomes RVB, Barbosa EF, Costa ALO, Ozório FJDG, Cavalcante P, Torres JCB, et al. ASD and inclusion: teacher training and the use of alternative and extended communication in inclusive educational contexts. Int J Innov Educ Res. 2021;9(5):23-37. doi: http://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol9.iss5.3065
4. Pereira SF, Silva MCO, Jesus BLN, Roberto WMP, Pederneiras CL, Barbosa IOS, et al. Transtornos do espectro autista: avanços no diagnóstico precoce e intervenções multidisciplinares. J Med Biosci Res. 2026;3(1):113-30. doi: http://doi.org/10.70164/jmbr.v3i1.1092
5. Limeira JBR, Silva KL, Calado Neto NM, Silva CRDT, Oliveira VL, Alexandre ACS. Development of a mobile application for health education about sepsis. Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2023;57:e20220269. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2022-0269en
6. Dusi R, Trombini RRSL, Pereira ALM, Funghetto SS, Ginani VC, Stival MM, et al. Construction and content validation of mobile app messages on food and nutrition for older adults with type 2 diabetes. Nutrients. 2024;16(14):2306. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142306
7. Somerton M. Developing an educational app for students with autism. Front Educ. 2022;7:998694. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.998694
8. Giaretta NM, Trufeli SP, Alckmin-Carvalho F, Teixeira MCTVT. Implementation of M-CHAT for screening of early signs of autism in the Brazilian Health Care System: a feasibility study. Nurs Rep. 2025;15(4):120. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nursrep150401208
9. Santos AMD, Resende EB, Oliveira LV, Silva CRDV, Lopes RH, Dantas DV, et al. Validação de tecnologias educacionais na área da saúde: uma revisão de escopo. EaD Foco. 2024;14(1):e2091. doi: https://doi.org/10.18264/eadf.v14i1.2091
10. Maia KS, Assumpção Junior FB. Escala de rastreio para Transtorno do Espectro Autista: um estudo de validade para adolescentes e adultos. Bol Acad Paul Psicol [Internet]. 2021 [cited Apr 13, 2026];41(101):166-74. Available from: http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-711X2021000200003&lng=pt&nrm=iso
11. Alexandre NMC, Coluci MZO. Content validity in the development and adaptation processes of measurement instruments. Ciênc Saúde Colet. 2011;16(7):3061-8. doi: http://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232011000800006
12. Polit DF, Beck CT. The content validity index: are you sure you know what’s being reported? Res Nurs Health. 2006;29(5):489-97. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20147
13. Bolfarine H, Bussab WO. Elementos de amostragem. São Paulo: Blucher; 2005.
14. Liu X, Zhao W, Qi Q, Luo X. Autism care, diagnosis, and intervention based on mobile apps. Sensors (Basel). 2023;23:6260. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s23146260
15. Tan BL, Nair R, Duggal MS, Aishworiya R, Tong HJ. Development of oral health resources and a mobile application for caregivers and autistic children through consensus building. Autism. 2024;28(4):959-74. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231188768
16. Bharat R, Uzaina U, Yadav T, Niranjan S, Kurade P. mHealth apps delivering early intervention to support parents of children with autism: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2022;6:e001358. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2021-001358
17. Istepanian RSH. Mobile health (m-Health) in retrospect: the known unknowns. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19:3747. doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19073747
18. Saparumadu AADNS, Fernando Z, Zeng P, Teo H, Goh A, Lee JMY, et al. User-centered design process of an mHealth app for health professionals: a case study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021;9(3):e18079. doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/18079
19. Martins MAL, Marques LS, Lucena JRC, Nascimento MBG, Moreira MRC, Lima Júnior JF. Validação de uma tecnologia cuidativo-educacional (jogo de tabuleiro) para crianças com transtorno do espectro autista. Rev Thema. 2024;23(2):593-606. doi: https://doi.org/10.15536/thema.V23.2024.593-606.3266
20. Joo Y, Jang Y, Park CG, Yang YL. Development and validation of a patient-centered communication scale for nurses. BMC Nurs. 2024;23(1):550. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02174-7
21. Weissheimer G, Mazza VA, Spinillo CG, Teodoro FC, Lima VF, Jurczyszyn JE. Development of an information booklet for family members and caregivers of children with autism. Rev Baiana Enferm. 2023;37:e52757. doi: https://doi.org/10.18471/rbe.v37.52757
22. Costa MVG, Zandonadi RP, Ginani VC, Funghetto SS, Lima LR, Rehem TCMSB, et al. Connecting health and technology: validation of instant messaging for use as diabetes mellitus control strategy in older Brazilian adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025;22(2):282. doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020282
23. Zhai S, Chu F, Tan M, Chi N-Z, Ward T, Yumen W. Digital health interventions to support family caregivers: a systematic review. Digit Health. 2023;9:20552076231171967. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20552076231171967
24. André TG, Moreira NG, Lucca M, Carlos DM, Fernandez-Garcia AO, Nascimento LC, et al. Strategies used by the nursing team in the care of autistic children and adolescents: an integrative review. J Pediatr Nurs. 2025;82:E134–E141. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2025.01.010
25. Gorla BC, Jorge BM, Oliveira AR, Rocha LAC, Assalin ACB, Girão FB. Short-term central venous catheter: production of educational videos for the nursing team. Esc Anna Nery. 2022;26:e20210392. doi: https://doi.org/10.1590/2177-9465-EAN-2021-0392en
26. Moura RAL, Costa TL. Análise da produção científica da enfermagem sobre o transtorno do espectro autista em periódicos brasileiros de enfermagem de 2020 a 2025. Rev Contrib Cienc Soc. 2025;19(1):56. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.55905/revconv.19n.1-056
27. Shang C, Xie W, Zeng J, Osman N, Sun C, Zou M, et al. E-health family interventions for parents of children with autism aged 0–6 years: a scoping review. Psychiatry Investig. 2024;21(9):925-37. doi: https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2023.0399
28. Bonfim TA, Giacon-Arruda BCC, Hermes-Uliana C, Galera SAF, Marcheti MA. Family experiences in discovering Autism Spectrum Disorder: implications for family nursing. Rev Bras Enferm. 2020;73(Suppl 6):e20190489. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0489
29. Straand IJ, Baxter KA, Følstad A. Remote inclusion of vulnerable users in mHealth research. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2024;12:e55548. doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/55548
30. Ji B, Batubara IMS, Batten J, Peng X, Chen S, Ni Z. Digital health interventions targeting psychological health in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review. BMC Psychol. 2025;13:1128. doi: http://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03219-5
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
All data supporting the results of this study are available in the body of the article.
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Cláudia Sorelle Cavalcanti de Santana, Carlos Augusto Moreira de Sousa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
