Workshop Effectiveness
Positive Changes
All of the workshop participants agreed that this workshop has enhanced their parent-child relationship, with a mean at 5.20 and 5.17 (out of 6) for closeness and understanding respectively.
The results above were perhaps an accurate reflection of our findings from the post-workshop interview. Firstly, most parents stated that they have gotten closer with their children after the workshop. In addition, other than more frequent verbal expressions, those children have also improved in emotional regulation. Furthermore, the parents expressed that they have indeed gained a better understanding towards their children.
Based on these findings, the goal of enhancing the closeness and understanding between children with ASD and their parents was seemingly met.
Positive Feedback
All of our participants were satisfied in the workshop and expressed interest in joining similar workshops again, where the mean value was 5.50 for both items.
During the post-workshop interview, all of our participants regarded the workshop as a "playful" and "joyous" experience, while serving as a "lesson" for both the parent and the child, at "communication strategies" and "social interactions" respectively. When engaged in art-making, they felt "concentrated" and "relaxed". In terms of sustainability, some parents have told us that they would use the remaining art materials with their children at home, while referring to their previous creations.
Overall speaking, all participants believed the workshop to be beneficial, not only for the child but the parent as well. Moreover, our second goal of introducing shared activities at home was also met.
Summary
The results of subjective outcome evaluation and post-workshop interview suggest that shared activities between the parent and the child can indeed enhance their relationship. More importantly, despite the main emphasis of the workshop being parent-child relationship, based on the participants' feedback, such activities may have other positive impacts on children with ASD, such as language and socio-emotional development, prompting further exploration.