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Understanding the profiles and factors associated with motor, personal living and community integration skill levels of adolescents with moderate to severe Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attending special schools in Singapore
Author
Leong, Reena Zhen Xia
Supervisor
Poon, Kenneth K.
Abstract
Given the increasing interest in the quality of life (QOL) as well as the mounting concerns over poor and limited life outcomes that had been reported for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this study attempts to focus on whether adolescents with ASD in local special schools could be clustered based on three main factors, namely motor skills, personal living skills and community integration skills which is inclusive of vocational skills. A secondary aim of this study would be to look at whether students with different levels of ASD symptomology (e.g., maladaptive behaviours, speech and language impairments) and from different age groups differ in their cluster profiles of motor, personal living and community integration skill levels.
Teachers of sixty students with ASD attending six special schools in Singapore participated in this study. The teachers provided basic demographic information and were asked to rate their students’ skill levels using Scales of Independent Behaviour -Revised (SIB-R) as well as ASD symptomology using the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale- Third Edition (GARS-3).
Cluster analyses conducted on the students’ level of motor, personal living and community integration skills revealed three groups. It was noted that students who were reported by teachers to possess good motor skills also achieved high ratings for their personal living and community integration skill levels. A cluster analysis was also conducted on the ASD symptomology level and it was noted that this was a factor that was found to be significantly different amongst the three clusters identified. Students who had lower ASD symptomology achieved higher ratings for motor, personal living and community integration skills while students with higher ASD symptomology achieved lower ratings across all three domains. The study also highlighted that the core impairments of ASD as well as motor skills are areas that need to be continually focused on, targeted and intervened in order to aid the process of the teaching and learning of functional skills. The practical implications, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research based on the findings of this study are discussed.
Teachers of sixty students with ASD attending six special schools in Singapore participated in this study. The teachers provided basic demographic information and were asked to rate their students’ skill levels using Scales of Independent Behaviour -Revised (SIB-R) as well as ASD symptomology using the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale- Third Edition (GARS-3).
Cluster analyses conducted on the students’ level of motor, personal living and community integration skills revealed three groups. It was noted that students who were reported by teachers to possess good motor skills also achieved high ratings for their personal living and community integration skill levels. A cluster analysis was also conducted on the ASD symptomology level and it was noted that this was a factor that was found to be significantly different amongst the three clusters identified. Students who had lower ASD symptomology achieved higher ratings for motor, personal living and community integration skills while students with higher ASD symptomology achieved lower ratings across all three domains. The study also highlighted that the core impairments of ASD as well as motor skills are areas that need to be continually focused on, targeted and intervened in order to aid the process of the teaching and learning of functional skills. The practical implications, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research based on the findings of this study are discussed.
Date Issued
2017
Call Number
LC4717.5 Leo
Date Submitted
2017