The Special Education Specialists' Awareness of Applied Behavioral Modification Techniques to Enhance Daily Life Skills for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The current study aimed to assess the extent to which special education specialists in Palestine are aware of behavior modification techniques in developing daily life skills. The study sought to explore whether the level of awareness among specialists varies according to certain variables such as gender, years of experience, or academic qualification.

The study sample consisted of 182 specialists (60 males and 122 females). To achieve the study’s objectives, the researcher developed a questionnaire as the primary research tool. The final version of the questionnaire included 27 items.

The results revealed that specialists working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) attributed a high degree of importance to behavior modification techniques on a wide scale, with a mean score of 4.21 and a percentage of 84.2%. Furthermore, the findings indicated no statistically significant differences in the overall awareness scores based on gender. However, there were statistically significant differences in the overall awareness scores attributed to years of experience and academic qualification.

The study recommended the need to empower special education specialists with lower academic qualifications through intensive and up-to-date training programs in the field of behavior modification. Additionally, it emphasized the importance of incorporating more advanced and specialized content in university programs for preparing special education teachers, particularly regarding behavior modification and the development of life skills for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.