The effectiveness of the SESFAR intervention program in supporting the phonological awareness of children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the Phonological Awareness Intervention Program in supporting the phonological awareness skills of two six- and seven-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, we collected follow-up and generalization data. The social validity data were evaluated by social comparison and subjective evaluation methods. The findings from the study showed that children with autism acquired phonological awareness skills with the Phonological Awareness Intervention Program presented with the direct instruction method. They maintained these skills in the follow-up sessions held after 1, 3, and 5 weeks and could generalize them to different people, tools, and settings. On the other hand, the social validity findings showed that children with autism who were the study participants exhibited similar phonological awareness skills to their peers. The findings obtained from the parents and teachers of the participating children indicated the study's social validity.