A survey study on the ABA-DIR Integrated treatment model in autism intervention

Includes bibliographical references (pages 54-57)Children with Autism diagnoses exhibit a wide range of clinical expressions, including impairment in social behaviors, delay in speech development, deceleration of head growth, loss of previously acquired language, and social skills deficits. The primary goal of this study is to explore and document the strategies utilized by autism interventionists using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based (DIR) and Integrated model (ABA-DIR) treatment approaches in a hypothetical scenario case. The scenario is designed to represent a situation that is common in treatment sessions when working with children on the autism spectrum. The secondary goal of this study is to explore the extent to which there are similarities and differences between interventionists??? responses across treatment groups. Seven autism interventionists practicing in the ABA, DIR, and ABA-DIR treatment approaches were surveyed. Their responses were analyzed and further discussed in this thesis. Findings of this pilot study suggested that prior education level and practice experiences might contribute to each interventionist???s choices in deciding what specific strategies to utilize during treatment session. However, due to the relevantly small sample size and non-representative participant pool, further investigation was necessary to support the conclusion of this thesis