The Keyhole® Rainbow Resource Kit: Meeting the needs of parents of newly diagnosed preschoolers with ASD.

A resource kit containing information booklets about ASD, selected toys andplaythings, and communication aids was developed and evaluated with 29volunteer mothers supported by service personnel who visited on an average of sixoccasions. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies was used in theevaluation. Nearly all mothers found the kit helpful to their child, to thempersonally, and to some extent to the wider family. On post-testing, mothersreported that the child had fewer problems relating to play as a result of using thekit. The child’s relationships with others and difficulties with imitation had alsoimproved. Mothers felt less stressed in their interactions with the child. Onaverage, the mothers had received around 10 hours of home-based support and thecosts of the kits were also modest. This approach offers a value-for-money,practical approach to meeting the needs of families awaiting diagnosis and thosewho have recently been diagnosed.