2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial
| Format: | General Document |
|---|
| _version_ | 1860798363997306880 |
|---|---|
| building | INTELEK Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| collectionurl | https://intelek.unisza.edu.my/intelek/pages/search.php?search=!collection8804 |
| copyright | Copyright©PWB2026 |
| country | Malaysia |
| date | 2025-09-11 |
| format | General Document |
| id | 17472 |
| institution | UniSZA |
| originalfilename | 17472_a1379338ac063d3.pdf |
| person | Bara Yousef |
| recordtype | oai_dc |
| resourceurl | https://intelek.unisza.edu.my/intelek/pages/view.php?ref=17472 |
| sourcemedia | Server storage Scanned document |
| spelling | 17472 https://intelek.unisza.edu.my/intelek/pages/view.php?ref=17472 https://intelek.unisza.edu.my/intelek/pages/search.php?search=!collection8804 General Document Malaysia Library Staff (Top Management) Library Staff (Management) Library Staff (Support) Terengganu Faculty of Health Sciences English application/pdf 1.7 178 Microsoft® Word 2016 Public Access Server storage Scanned document Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Dissertations, Academic 2025-09-11 Qatar Copyright©PWB2026 Thesis Bara Yousef Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Executive Function Strategies Daily Life Skills Training Occupational Therapy Sensory Integration/Processing Visual Motor Integration (VMI) Randomized Controlled Trial Pediatric Rehabilitation Early Childhood Intervention Autism Spectrum Disorder Executive Functions (Neuropsychology) Occupational Therapy Children With Disabilities—Rehabilitation Pediatric Neuropsychology 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial Background: Executive function (EF) impairment is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EF strategies have been suggested to be effective in improving the therapeutic outcomes of children with ASD. To date, limited research has examined the outcome of EF training combined with occupational therapy (OT) interventions, such as integrating daily life skills (DLS) training and sensory integration/processing (SI/SP) training. Therefore, more research is needed to address this gap. This study aims to explore whether integrating EF strategies with regular OT interventions is effective in improving DLS, SI/SP, and VMI in children with ASD in Qatar. This study is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving two phases. A total of 47 participants who met the inclusion criteria were recruited, with 41 participants (32 males and 9 females; mean age = 4.36 years, SD = 0.631) completing the study. Following the baseline assessments, the participants in both phases were randomly assigned to the treatment group (regular OT plus EF strategies) or control group (regular OT sessions alone). All participants received one 45-minute intervention session per week for a duration of 14 weeks. All participants were systematically evaluated using the Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), the Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP2), and the Beery VMI test (Beery VMI). Assessments were conducted at baseline, seven weeks, and 14 weeks of treatment. The effects of the intervention on both the treatment and control groups across these time points (weeks 0, 7, and 14) were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Overall, significant within-group improvements were observed for all measures across the different weeks (all P < 0.05). However, between-group comparisons showed that while the treatment group had notable clinically significant mean score differences in the WeeFIM, SSP2, and VMI measures, these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). This suggests that while both groups improved over time, the treatment did not result in consistently significant differences between the groups for most measures. Our study provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of EF strategies combined with regular OT in improving DLS, SI/SP, and VMI in children with ASD, offering a potential alternative approach to delivering OT services in local healthcare facilities, not only in Qatar but also in other countries. However, the observed effects of the training were modest, prompting the need for further exploration in large clinical trials. Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; daily life skills; executive function strategies; occupational therapy; sensory integration/processing; visual motor integration uuid:20D548E1-0575-49CF-A52E-B90E38C94EE2 17472_a1379338ac063d3.pdf |
| spellingShingle | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| state | Terengganu |
| subject | Dissertations, Academic Autism Spectrum Disorder Executive Functions (Neuropsychology) Occupational Therapy Children With Disabilities—Rehabilitation Pediatric Neuropsychology |
| summary | Background: Executive function (EF) impairment is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EF strategies have been suggested to be effective in improving the therapeutic outcomes of children with ASD. To date, limited research has examined the outcome of EF training combined with occupational therapy (OT) interventions, such as integrating daily life skills (DLS) training and sensory integration/processing (SI/SP) training. Therefore, more research is needed to address this gap. This study aims to explore whether integrating EF strategies with regular OT interventions is effective in improving DLS, SI/SP, and VMI in children with ASD in Qatar. This study is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving two phases. A total of 47 participants who met the inclusion criteria were recruited, with 41 participants (32 males and 9 females; mean age = 4.36 years, SD = 0.631) completing the study. Following the baseline assessments, the participants in both phases were randomly assigned to the treatment group (regular OT plus EF strategies) or control group (regular OT sessions alone). All participants received one 45-minute intervention session per week for a duration of 14 weeks. All participants were systematically evaluated using the Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM), the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), the Short Sensory Profile 2 (SSP2), and the Beery VMI test (Beery VMI). Assessments were conducted at baseline, seven weeks, and 14 weeks of treatment. The effects of the intervention on both the treatment and control groups across these time points (weeks 0, 7, and 14) were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Overall, significant within-group improvements were observed for all measures across the different weeks (all P < 0.05). However, between-group comparisons showed that while the treatment group had notable clinically significant mean score differences in the WeeFIM, SSP2, and VMI measures, these differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). This suggests that while both groups improved over time, the treatment did not result in consistently significant differences between the groups for most measures. Our study provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of EF strategies combined with regular OT in improving DLS, SI/SP, and VMI in children with ASD, offering a potential alternative approach to delivering OT services in local healthcare facilities, not only in Qatar but also in other countries. However, the observed effects of the training were modest, prompting the need for further exploration in large clinical trials. Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; daily life skills; executive function strategies; occupational therapy; sensory integration/processing; visual motor integration |
| title | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | 2026_Integrated Life Skill Training and Executive Function Strategies in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Qatar: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | 2026_integrated life skill training and executive function strategies in children with autism spectrum disorder in qatar: a randomized controlled trial |