A review of the effectiveness of ABA-based interventions in managing children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a global health concern mainly affecting children and adolescents. The deficit in social communication is characterised by impairments in pragmatic language skills and social cognition, which includes emotional recognition and regulation, as well as Theory of Mind. The impairments include the inability to use verbal and nonverbal language for social purposes, adapting communication to match the context, following the rules of narratives, understanding what is not explicitly stated, flexibility in planning communication contexts, understanding and attributing mental and emotional states, as well as impairments in structural language. This study reviews the effectiveness of interventions that are based on the principles of ABA on social communication skills and reducing stereotypical behavioural patterns among children with ASD. The study used PRISMA guidelines. A PICO Findings from the current review indicated significant effectiveness in pragmatic language communication, with little improvement on socio-emotional perception skills, especially complex emotional skills. At the same time, its effectiveness on TOM has not been tested or observed. The current review also highlighted the effects of ABA-based interventions in managing stereotypic behaviours.
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References
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