A structured summary of how children function in everyday life can help parents better understand their child’s strengths and challenges, as well as how the environment influences them. This is shown in a study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders under the title “Autism and ADHD strengths and needs in a nutshell: Parental evaluation of a digital ICF-based assessment summary report.”
When children are assessed for autism or ADHD, the focus is on diagnostic criteria and symptoms. However, it is often just as important to gain a clear and coherent picture of how the child functions in everyday life. In this study, researchers at KIND (Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet) examined how parents perceive a structured summary based on their responses in a digital assessment of their child’s functioning.
– The results show that the summary can help parents gain an overall picture of how the child functions in daily life, and can also be useful in discussions with, for example, schools or healthcare providers,” says Sven Bölte, professor at Karolinska Institutet and senior author of the study.
Parents experienced increased insight
The study is based on a survey completed by 357 parents of children with autism and/or ADHD. The parents had previously completed a digital assessment of the child’s functional abilities in daily life and had then received a structured summary of their own responses. In the survey, they were asked to assess how well the summary reflected the child’s strengths and difficulties, and how useful it was.
A clear majority reported that the summary matched the child’s situation well. Just over nine in ten considered the descriptions of the child’s strengths and difficulties to be accurate. About half of the parents also stated that the summary increased their awareness of both the child’s functional abilities and of environmental factors that may facilitate or hinder daily life.
“Parents described that the summary accurately reflected their child’s functioning, both in terms of strengths and challenges. Many said they discovered new aspects of their child and gained a clearer understanding of how the environment affects them. It was also a positive surprise that even a relatively simple summary could give them better opportunities to build on their child’s strengths and manage their difficulties,” says John Hasslinger, researcher at KIND.
Focus on everyday functioning rather than diagnosis
The assessment used in the study is based on the World Health Organization’s ICF framework, which is used internationally to describe functioning and participation from a broad perspective. The study specifically applied the ICF Core Sets for autism and ADHD, which have been developed and further refined through years of research at KIND under the leadership of Professor Sven Bölte.
“The ICF Core Sets provide a clear structure for mapping how a person functions in different situations. In this study, several parents reported that the summary of their responses could support discussions with, for example, schools or healthcare providers,” says Sven Bölte.
May facilitate dialogue
The researchers suggest that an assessment based on ICF Core Sets, combined with a clear summary of the child’s functioning, can be a valuable complement in communication between families and professionals.
“It is about making information understandable, recognizable, and usable. That increases the likelihood that it will be helpful in everyday life for children and their families,” says John Hasslinger.
Publication
“Autism and ADHD strengths and needs in a nutshell: Parental evaluation of a digital ICF‑based assessment summary report.” Hasslinger J, Alehagen L, Bilir K, Bölte S. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, online 4 June 2026, doi: 10.1007/s10803-026-07376-3.
