
Volume 12, Issue 3 (March 2025), Pages: 255-261

----------------------------------------------
Original Research Paper
Developing visual-motor coordination through ABLLS-R-based training in children with moderate autism spectrum disorder
Author(s):
Sherif Adel Gaber *, Ibrahim Ali Dawsari, Abdulwahab Saeed Alzahrani, Awatif Mahmoud Hamad, Alia Hamed Ibrahim, Sumaia Attia Al Hasan
Affiliation(s):
Faculty of Education, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
Full text
Full Text - PDF
* Corresponding Author.
Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9787-8041
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.03.025
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of interventions based on the revised assessment of basic language and learning skills (ABLLS-R) in improving visual-motor coordination (VMC) and related functional skills in children with moderate autism spectrum disorder (MASD). Sixty children with MASD, aged 9 to 12 years (mean = 10.8, SD = ±1.23), were selected from a daycare center in Al-Ahsa and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n = 30 each) using a quasi-experimental design. The Visual-Motor Coordination Scale (VMCS), standardized for the Saudi environment, was used to assess performance. The results showed that the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement on the VMCS assessment compared to the control group and exhibited enhanced performance in post-measurement compared to pre-measurement. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the post-measurement and one-month follow-up scores for the experimental group, indicating the program’s effectiveness in developing targeted skills and maintaining improvements over time. The study recommends implementing more ABLLS-R-based training programs to enhance various skills in children with MASD and regularly evaluating their effectiveness in care centers.
© 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords
Visual-motor coordination, Autism spectrum disorder, Functional skills, ABLLS-R intervention, Training effectiveness
Article history
Received 14 November 2024, Received in revised form 28 March 2025, Accepted 1 April 2025
Acknowledgment
The researchers are grateful to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Faisal University for supporting this study (KFU250322).
Compliance with ethical standards
Ethical considerations
The researchers in this study adhered to all ethical standards, ensuring the anonymity of the participants and their families’ consent to their children’s participation in the study experiment and commitment to its conditions. The Deanship of Scientific Research at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, granted ethical approval to conduct the study (approval number: KFU-REC-2024-MAY-ETHICS2356).
Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Citation:
Gaber SA, Dawsari IA, Alzahrani AS, Hamad AM, Ibrahim AH, and Al Hasan SA (2025). Developing visual-motor coordination through ABLLS-R-based training in children with moderate autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(3): 255-261
Permanent Link to this page
Figures
No Figure
Tables
Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4
----------------------------------------------
References (28)
- Abid N, Aslam S, Azeem A, and Shahidi-Hamedani S (2024). Unlocking social growth: The impact of applied behavior analysis on children with autism spectrum disorder. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 16(4): 509-520. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2024.349 [Google Scholar]
- APA (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association, Washington, USA. [Google Scholar]
- Begic J and Kolar M (2024). Music and children with autism spectrum disorder: A case study. Journal of Educational Sciences, 25(1): 219-232. https://doi.org/10.35923/JES.2024.1.13 [Google Scholar]
- Behrouzmanesh P, Naderi F, Bakhtiarpour S, and Hafezi F (2023). Effect of sensory integration-based training on the sensory profile of male children with high-performance autism. The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 12(4): 760-773. https://doi.org/10.32598/SJRM.12.4.14 [Google Scholar]
- Bektaş S and Ercan ZG (2023). A study of visual motor skills of children with special needs. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(8): 341-359. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i8.4930 [Google Scholar]
- Belisle J, Dixon MR, Munoz BE, and Fricke-Steuber K (2022). The convergent validity of the PEAK-E-PA and two common assessments of language development: The ABLLS-R and the TOLD. Journal of Behavioral Education, 31: 699-717. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-020-09426-x [Google Scholar]
- Bick NA, Redfern MS, Jennings JR, Eack SM, Iverson JM, and Cham R (2024). Attention and sensory integration for gait in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Gait and Posture, 112: 74-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.04.035 [Google Scholar] PMid:38749292
- Carey S, McKenzie M, Knightbridge L, and Bourke-Taylor H (2023). Visual motor assessment of children with autism spectrum disorder: Comparing performance and considerations for assessment. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, and Early Intervention: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2023.2262754 [Google Scholar]
- Carsone B, Green K, Torrence W, and Henry B (2023). Beery visual motor integration scores of children with autism spectrum disorder: Undergoing occupational therapy. International Journal of Special Education, 38(1): 43-46. https://doi.org/10.52291/ijse.2023.38.4 [Google Scholar]
- Carsone B, Smith B, Green K, and Lenhardt R (2022). Sensory processing and visual motor integration of children with autism undergoing occupational therapy intervention. HSOA Journal of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Disabilities, 8: 77. https://doi.org/10.24966/PMRD-8670/100077 [Google Scholar]
- Ceccarelli BS, Ferrante C, Gazzola E, Marzocchi GM, Nobile M, Molteni M, and Crippa A (2020). Fundamental motor skills intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: A 10-year narrative review. Children, 7: 250. https://doi.org/10.3390/children7110250 [Google Scholar] PMid:33238562 PMCid:PMC7700578
- Gaber SA (2024). Reducing stereotypical behaviors using augmented reality in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Education and e-Learning Research, 11(2): 283-291. https://doi.org/10.20448/jeelr.v11i2.5536 [Google Scholar]
- Gaber SA, Alzahrani AS, Dawsari IA, Hamad AM, and Alhajri AS (2025). Developing gross and fine motor skills using sensory integration in children with moderate autism spectrum disorder. European Journal of Educational Research, 14(1): 297-307. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.14.1.297 [Google Scholar]
- Hemati AG and Mradi H (2021). The effectiveness of sensory integration intervention on the emotional-behavioral problems of children with autism spectrum disorder. Advances in Autism, 7(2): 152-166. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-12-2019-0051 [Google Scholar]
- Jin YR, Sung YS, Koh CL, Chu SY, Yang HC, and Lin LY (2023). Efficacy of motor interventions on functional performance among preschool children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(6): 7706205020. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.050283 [Google Scholar] PMid:37992052
- Lidstone DE and Mostofsky SH (2021). Moving toward understanding autism: Visual-motor integration, imitation, and social skill development. Pediatric Neurology, 122: 98-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2021.06.010 [Google Scholar] PMid:34330613 PMCid:PMC8372541
- Longo R, Allegrini F, Gusson E, Morbio R, Di Gennaro G, Gozzi LA, Marchini G, and Zoccante L (2023). Visual-motor involvement in autism spectrum disorder: Could the stereopsis deficit affect motor coordination? Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14: 1130185. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1130185 [Google Scholar] PMid:38034932 PMCid:PMC10687461
- Martel M, Finos L, Bahmad S, Koun E, Salemme R, Sonié S, Fourneret P, Schmitz C, and Roy AC (2024). Motor deficits in autism differ from that of developmental coordination disorder. Autism, 28(2): 415-432. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231171980 [Google Scholar] PMid:37226824
- Minissi ME, Gómez-Zaragozá L, Marín-Morales J, Mantovani F, Sirera M, Abad L, Cervera-Torres S, Gómez-García S, Chicchi Giglioli IA, and Alcañiz M (2023). The whole-body motor skills of children with autism spectrum disorder taking goal-directed actions in virtual reality. Frontiers in Psychology, 14: 1140731. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1140731 [Google Scholar] PMid:37089733 PMCid:PMC10117537
- Myers AJ, Cleveland E, Whitby PJS, Boykin AA, Burnette K, Holmes R, and Ezike N (2022). Analysis of a statewide early intervention program for young children with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52: 4994-5006. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05376-z [Google Scholar] PMid:34797471
- Padilla KL, Weston R, Morgan GB, Lively P, and O'Guinn N (2023). Validity and reliability evidence for assessments based in applied behavior analysis: A systematic review. Behavior Modification, 47(1): 247-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455221098151 [Google Scholar] PMid:35792495
- Papadopoulos A and Vasileiadis I (2024). Detection of difficulties and intervention programme for the improvement of visual-motor integration in preschoolers with special educational needs. Research Square: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3744364/v1 [Google Scholar]
- Partington JW, Bailey A, and Partington SW (2018). A pilot study on patterns of skill development of neurotypical children as measured by the ABLLS-R: Implications for educational programming for children with autism. International Journal of Contemporary Education, 1(2): 70-85. https://doi.org/10.11114/ijce.v1i2.3619 [Google Scholar]
- Pillay S, Duncan M, and de Vries PJ (2024). 'We are doing damage control': Government stakeholder perspectives of educational and other services for children with autism spectrum disorder in South Africa. Autism, 28(1): 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221142111 [Google Scholar] PMid:36510832 PMCid:PMC10771016
- Pongoski M (2020). Relations of learning abilities, task characteristics, and acquisition of skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. [Google Scholar]
- Schnell LK, Watkins JD, and Kisamore AN (2023). Teaching adaptive skills to children with autism spectrum disorder: From assessment to treatment. In: Matson JL (Ed.), Handbook of applied behavior analysis for children with autism: Clinical guide to assessment and treatment: 339-349. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27587-6_17 [Google Scholar]
- Sung MC, McClelland MM, Massey W, Logan SW, and MacDonald M (2024). Association between motor skills and executive function of children with autism spectrum disorder in Taiwan and the United States. Frontiers in Public Health, 11: 1292695. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1292695 [Google Scholar] PMid:38249390 PMCid:PMC10796658
- Wuang YP, Huang CL, and Tsai HY (2020). Sensory integration and perceptual-motor profiles in school-aged children with autistic spectrum disorder. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 16: 1661-1673. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S253337 [Google Scholar] PMid:32753871 PMCid:PMC7351620
|