The aim of the study was to identify the effectiveness of an early intervention program based on the techniques of applied behavior analysis to provide self-care skills for people with autism spectrum disorders. The sample of the study consisted of (36) children from special education centers in the city of Irbid in Jordan. Their ages ranged between (4-6) years, and their IQ score ranged between (55-69) degrees. The study sample members were divided into (3) groups, two experimental groups, and a control group in each of them (12) children. To achieve the goal of the study, the researcher prepared a scale of self-care skills, and a training program based on techniques of applied behavior analysis to reduce unwanted behaviors to acquire self-care skills. The validity and reliability of the study tools were verified, and the quasi-experimental design was used, and the results of the study showed the effectiveness of the training program in imparting and developing self-care skills for children with autism spectrum disorders, and the results of the study showed statistically significant differences at the level of (α = 0.05) between the mean The ranks of the scores of children on the autism spectrum in the experimental and control groups on the SelfCare Skills Scale are due to the training program and in favor of the indoctrination strategy, and to the presence of statistically significant differences at the level (α = 0.05) between the average ranks of the scores of children on the autism spectrum in the experimental and control groups on the Self-Care Skills Scale Attributable to the training program and in favor of the formation strategy. The study also showed that there were statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) between the indoctrination strategy on the one hand, and both the formation strategy and the control group on the other hand, and the differences came in favor of the indoctrination strategy.
Key words: applied behavior analysis strategies, indoctrination and shaping, self-care skills, autism spectrum disorders.
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