Using rational-emotive language education to improve communication and social skills of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders in Nigeria

Abstract

Background/Objective: Studies show the need for improved communication and social skills of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the effect of using rational-emotive language education (RELE) to pursue this need for adolescents in Nigeria. Methods: The design of the study was a group randomized trial, with pretest, post-test, and follow-up. Sixty-eight adolescents with ASDs participated in the study. Autism Communication and Social Skills Scale for Adolescent (ACSSSA) was used for data collection. The method of data analysis in the study was repeated measures ANOVA procedure, with Partial eta squared ( ), adjusted R 2 , mean, standard deviation, and upper/lower limit. Results: The RELE program significantly improved communication and social skills of adolescents with ASDs exposed to the treatment intervention when compared with waitlist control group. Conclusion: Exposure to RELE significantly improved communication and social skills of adolescents with ASDs in this study. Therefore, we recommend that language educators, speech pathologists, language therapists, special educators and counsellors, and other professionals involved in the treatment and caring for ASDs patients be trained on the application of the RELE technique so as to enable them to employ the program in their professional practices.

Effects of Student Training in Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence on the Behaviour and Coexistence of Adolescents in the 21st Century

“…Furthermore, related to the third research question, the educational implications of the development of an effective intervention programme to improve the behaviour and coexistence of adolescents are relevant as the application of these programmes facilitates the improvement of relationships among members of the educational community and reduces cases of disruptive behaviour or problems in the relationships among peers. This is similar to the evidence provided by other studies [90][91][92].…”

Psychosocial interventions for autistic children and adolescents delivered by non-specialists in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

“…Seven studies were categorized as ‘multi-level’ for including both a parent-mediated component with a sibling component ( N = 1), teacher component ( N = 3), or community member component ( N = 3). In Nigeria, a parent and sibling intervention included autistic adolescents ages 15–16 that completed a 120 week Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy intervention that reported positive effects on communication skills and social skills ( Nnamani et al, 2019 ). Four studies included parent and teacher-mediated components in Kenya, India, Thailand, and China.…”

Ruptured school trajectories: understanding the impact of COVID-19 on school dropout, socio-emotional and academic learning using a longitudinal design

“…Longitudinal research by Wolf and McCoy (2019) on the bidirectional relationship between preschool children's SEL and emerging academic skills in Ghana also revealed that while early literacy and numeracy predicted all aspects of SEL measured, the reverse was not necessarily true. Meanwhile, studies on learners' social skills in low-income settings tend to focus on children with special educational needs, such as autism spectrum disorder (Nnamani et al, 2019;Major et al, 2021).…”