THE EFFICACY OF INTERVENTION STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS IN MANAGING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM DISORDER

This study attempted to ascertain the efficacy of Discrete Trial Teaching and observational learning techniques for parents in managing children with autism disorder. The sample for this study consisted of 20 parents (male and female) purposively selected from Benin City, Edo State. The instrument, titled ‘Knowledge of Managing Autism among Parents Questionnaire’ (KMAPAQ), containing 25 structured questions, was developed and employed by the researchers. Two hypotheses were tested. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test. The results showed that there was significant difference between parents’ in the experimental and control groups’ knowledge of managing autism. The mean score of parents’ experimental group was 91.40; greater than 58.70 mean score of the control group. A significant difference did not exist between male and female parents knowledge of managing autism. (t cal =0 .585, t cal =0. 589; p >.05). On the basis of the findings, it was suggested that parents irrespective of sex should be exposed to intervention strategies to manage and support children with autism in order to reduce their challenges.