Multi-Approach Intervention in Enhancing Adaptive Behavior of ASD: A within-subject Experimental Design

Abstract

This paper evaluated the effectiveness of music, play and augmentative alternative communication (AAC) with a new found technique called "Ilin-Ilin" (creatively use of music, play and AAC along humor and fun), altogether called Multi-Approach Intervention to enhance adaptive skills in domains and subdomains of communication, daily living, socialization, motor and maladaptive behavior of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study was conducted for 24 h sessions, three to four times a week involving five children aged 2-5 years. From five, three participants satisfactorily met the inclusion criteria, whose results were reported in this study. Pre and post data of each participant were gathered through interview with the participant's mother and teacher using VABS-II. Paired t-test was used to examine whether there was a significant change in adaptive skills among the participants after the intervention. Result reveals that Multi-Intervention Approach has positive effects to the general adaptive behavior. The helpfulness of the interventions were found statistically evident in enhancing communication (receptive),socialization (interpersonal relationship, play and leisure time and coping skills), and motor skills (gross and fine) and in impeding maladaptive behavior particularly the internalizing subdomain but less influenced in the daily living skills of the participants (only in personal subdomain). To sum up, the intervention is found most effective in enhancing the socialization and motor skills including their subdomains.