Acceptability and usability of the International Classification of Functioning CoreSets for Autism platform: evaluation by U.K. autistic adults

A diagnosis of autism does not provide sufficient information to understand how the world is experienced by an autistic person. The World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning (ICF) Core Sets for autism provides a framework from which a more in-depth understanding of an autistic person's profile of strengths and needs can be acquired. This is the first U.K. evaluation of the ICF CoreSets for Autism platform, an operationalisation of the ICF Core Sets for Autism via an online assessment. In a Development Phase, 20 autistic adults were supported to complete the assessment, provide feedback via think-aloud interviews and to evaluate it. In a Main Study, which was pre-registered, 464 autistic adults completed the assessment independently online and evaluated it. A participatory approach was used throughout. Using standardised questionnaires, overall autistic adults found the assessment to be ‘acceptable’ and usability was rated as ‘ok’ or better. This was also true for subgroups of autistic adults who expressed clinically significant autistic traits, anxiety or depression, those from minoritised ethnicities, older adults and who were unemployed. The findings suggest the ICF CoreSets for Autism platform has potential as a standardised evidence-based tool to improve understanding of autistic adults’ strengths and needs.