THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PICTURE EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (PECS) PROGRAM IN DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
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Date
2024-08-01
Authors
Kawasmi, Aseel
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complicated developmental illness characterized by chronic difficulties with social communication, limited interests, and repetitive behavior affecting day-to-day performance. Many studies have shown that PECS is one of the alternative enhanced communication components, which helps to teach functional communication skills, enhances language development and accepted social behaviors, and limits problematic behaviors, through an educational program built with six phases, which shall be discussed over the course of this thesis.
Description
the study adopts a quasi-experimental method which applies by selecting a control group and an experimental group who took the pre-test and the post-test to test the effect of the independent variable a Picture Exchange Communication System [PECS] group program was used on the dependent variable Communication Skills - Verbal, Nonverbal, and Social Communication Skills - among autistic children. The design of two equivalent groups was used; control and experimental groups. Thus, with parents' consent, 20 students who were diagnosed to have autism whose ages are between 4 - 7 years old, have been selected as the study sample. Those skills are tested by, creating a scale that aims to evaluate verbal and non-verbal skills. Hence, PECS was used with the experimental group, while there was no intervention made with the control group. The pre-test and the post-test were done for both groups to evaluate the autistic children’s ability to communicate before and post using PECS aiming to acknowledge the results and analyze them.