Peer-reviewed article
Self-Regulated Learning versus Activity-based Intervention to Reduce Behavioral Problems and Enhance School-related Function for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Randomized Control Trial
Farahiyah Wan Yunus, Michelle Bissett, Stefania Penkala, Masne Kadar, Karen P. Y. Liu ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This randomized controlled trial compared two intervention approaches for 40 children aged 6-12 with autism spectrum disorder over 12 weeks. Both self-regulated learning and activity-based interventions improved school-related functioning, but self-regulated learning was more effective at reducing behavioral problems and showed sustained benefits at one-month follow-up. The study measured outcomes in maladaptive behavior, functional communication, memory, social interaction, and behavior regulation.
Key points
- Self-regulated learning produced significant reduction in maladaptive behavior in children with ASD
- Both interventions improved school-related function, with self-regulated learning showing greater improvement
- Self-regulated learning group showed sustained benefits across multiple domains at one-month follow-up
- Improvements included functional communication, memory and understanding, positive interaction, and behavior regulation
- Study included 40 children aged 6-12 randomized into two intervention groups
Limitations
The study does not indicate which countries the research was conducted in or provide details on the demographic characteristics, baseline severity, or long-term sustainability of outcomes beyond one month. The sample size of 40 children is relatively small, limiting generalizability.
Abstract
Abstract Background: Self-regulated learning is an active learning cognitive approach which helps individuals to be aware of their own ability and environment and control their own learning. This study examined the therapeutic effects on reducing behavioral problems and enhancing school-related function in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Methods: Forty children (aged 6–12) were randomized into a 12-week self-regulated learning or activity-based group. Three outcome measures, assessing the behavioral problems and school-related function, were administered before and after the intervention and at one-month follow-up. The results between the two groups were also compared using two-way repeated measure multivariate analysis of variance tests. Results: Children in the self-regulated learning group reported a significant reduction in ‘Maladaptive Behavior’. Both groups showed better school-related function after the intervention with greater improvement found in the self-regulated learning group including ‘Functional Communication’, ‘Memory and Understanding’ and ‘Positive Interaction’. In the one-month follow-up, the self-regulated learning group showed significant better results in the ‘Maladaptive Behavior’ in addition to the ‘Functional Communication’, ‘Memory and Understanding’, ‘Following Social Conversations’, ‘Positive Interaction’ and ‘Behavior Regulation’ in the school-related function. Conclusions: The self-regulated learning and activity-based interventions are effective in enhancing school-related functions. In addition, the self-regulated learning intervention is effective in reducing behavioral problems of children with ASD. The SRL intervention was seen to be effective compared to the activity-based intervention with particular benefits for on-going learning and improvements. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02496819. Registered 14 July 2015.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
Problem
Behavioral problems and poor school-related functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder
- Intervention
- Self-regulated learning intervention, an active learning cognitive approach to enhance awareness of ability and environment and control of learning
- Population
- 40 children aged 6-12 with autism spectrum disorder
Key finding
Self-regulated learning group showed significant reduction in maladaptive behavior compared to activity-based group