The Effect of Using Some Applied Behavior Analysis Techniques (Positive and Negative Reinforcement) in Teaching Practical Life Skills in Mentessori Approach for Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

The current research aimed at identifying the effect of using some applied behavior analysis techniques (i.e. positive and negative reinforcement) in teaching practical life skills in Mentessori approach for children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and identifying the continuity of the intervention effectiveness after the application and during the follow-up assessment. To achieve this aim, the research sample consisted of (10) children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with age ranges between (4-6) years old. Additionally, the following tools were utilized by the researcher: Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale – Fifth Edition (prepared and rationed by Farag, 2016), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2), Practical Life Skills Scale for Children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Prepared by the researcher), and the intervention based on some applied behavior analysis techniques (positive and negative reinforcement) prepared by the researcher.
It were found statistically significant differences between mean scores of children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (the experimental sample) in both pre and post measurements of the intervention application on the practical life skills scale in the direction of post measurement. Moreover, no statistically significant differences were found between mean scores of children in the experimental group in both post and follow-up measurment on the practical life skills scale.