Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: This study used a single-subject Caucasian male from an autistic classroom in a rural Midwest school to determine the benefits of implementing an activity schedule with a student with autism.The purpose of this project was to determine the benefits of implementing .anactivity schedule with a student with autism.The results of the study showed that the male subject with autism improved in his ability to transition between subjects, display more appropriate behaviors, and improve on his academic scores after consistent use of the activity schedule.Results of this study supported the existing literature on using a picture activity schedule to increase the desirable behaviors, transitional skills, and academic skills of students with autism. Chapter I: IntroductionAs a substitute teacher, the researcher noticed that students with autism had difficulty transitioning between activities.The researcher observed that the students appeared frustrated and unsure of when to start the next activity.The professional literature was reviewed and activity schedules were one strategy that demonstrated multiple benefits with students with autism, including transitional skills.The researcher decided to collect data to determine how using an activity schedule would be beneficial with students with autism. Statement of the ProblemThe purpose of this project was to determine the benefits of implementing an activity schedule with students with autism.The research questions that guided this project were:1. How was an activity schedule defined in the professional literature? 2. According to the literature, what were the benefits of implementing an activity schedule with students with autism? 3.In what ways were activity schedules used according to the professional literature? 4. What were the benefits of implementing an activity schedule with students with autism? JustificationThe justification for choosing this action research project was based on the researcher's desire to improve academic performance, socialization, and independence for students with autism.The researcher wanted to examine activity schedules to determine the effectiveness of activity schedules as a strategy for helping students with autism transition from one activity to another without disrupting the classroom and other students, improve academic performance, and increase appropriate behaviors.The information and research derived from this project will assist the researcher in determining the benefits of using activity schedules.Additionally, the results of this study provided other teachers with an intervention that could be implemented to meet the academic, social, and behavioral needs of students with autism. Definition of TermsActivity schedules: Activity schedules are a set of pictures or written words, which are used to enable children with autism to engage in activities with greater independence. Benefits:Benefits are what the student with autism will gain from using an activity schedule and the positive results that that were observed by the researcher during this study.Autism: IDEA defines autism as "a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3 that adversely affects a child's educational performance.Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences (IDEA, 300.8)." Limitations and Appropriate Use of ResultsThis project had several limitations.These limitations were that the study was limited to one rural classroom in Northwest Ohio.The participation group was small and the participants were not ethnically diverse.In addition, time was limited due to the researcher conducting the study as a substitute teacher.The small size of the group used for the project may have influenced the results and therefore, may not be applicable to classes with more children.Chapter II: Review of the Literature The purpose of this project was to determine the benefits of implementing an activity schedule with students with autism.The research questions that guided this project were:
Author: Carole Mathewson
Institution: Defiance College
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2603668611