Evidence-based approaches to promote self-regulation in students with autism spectrum disorder

Self-Regulation of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to struggle with various aspects of self-regulation. This is primarily because such students have different needs brought by their condition such as emotional problems, concentration difficulties, and attention difficulties. For these students, achievable, extensive and non-stigmatizing help in emotional self-regulation is an important part to help promote and increase their mental health throughout their life (Wilkinson, 2008). Emotional self-regulation, which is deliberate or automatic modification of an individual’s emotional state toward desired behavior, is important toward improving the mental health of students with ASD because it enables them to learn how to develop flexibility and manage stress. However, these students face numerous challenges and struggles in different aspects of self-regulation especially attention, concentration, and behavior regulation (Wilkinson, 2008). There is need for more research that focuses on how to promote self-regulation among students with ASD to enhance their mental health throughout their life. This study will help the current body of research through identifying evidence-based approaches that can be used to promote self-regulation of students with ASD to improve their mental health.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to identify existing evidence-based approaches that are effective in improving self-regulation of students with ASD. The review examines whether there is a single effective approach that can be used to achieve this.
The research questions that will be addressed are:
1. What are strategies that will help this student regulate his behavior prior to feeling frustrated during his math work?
2. What are strategies that will help this student independently identify when he feels frustrated before the start of the verbal behavior (antecedent)?
Literature Review
The number of students with ASD has continued to increase in the modern learning environment as teachers and other stakeholders struggle to find a suitable intervention to address the challenges and struggles faced by these students. These students exhibit challenging behaviors that interfere with learning as they struggle to achieve self-regulation of their behaviors in the classroom. These difficulties not only interfere with the learning, but also contributes to poor achievements or outcomes. As a result, it is increasingly important for educators to identify evidence-based approaches for self-regulation of students with ASD. A review of this issue is increasingly important since it would help promote the mental health wellbeing of these students across their lifetime while improving their learning and achievements. The goal of this literature review is to determine what evidence-based approaches exist to promote self-regulation of students with ASD. Fifteen studies were identified for this part of the review using the following criteria: (a) study contained a definition of self-regulation, (b) the independent variable of the study was in the form of interventions for self-regulation, and (c) the term self-regulation was stated in the study as opposed to being listed as only a keyword. The studies chosen for this review were identified as containing a common rationale for self-regulation of students with ASD.
Definition of autism spectrum disorders and its associated behaviors. Barnard-Brack, Ivey-Hatz, Ward and Wei (2014) define ASD as neuro-developmental disorders whose diagnosis is determining through evaluation of social communication and social interaction. ASD is also defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized with deficits in social communication and functioning with limited repetitive behaviors and interests (Balch & Ray (2014; Soke et al., 2017). Soke et al. (2017) further contends that ASD is a term used to refer to disorders that were previously known as childhood autism, high-functioning autism, early infantile autism, atypical autism, and Kanner’s autism. An individual has this condition if he/she displays restricted, repetitive patterns of interests, activities or behaviors. A diagnosis of ASD is usually characterized by at least one of the following challenging behaviors: self-injury, disruptive behaviors, difficulties in learning, interference with classroom instruction, impeding learning, and aggression towards others which are signs of deficits in self-regulation skills such as the meta-cognitive skill set that is required for individuals to evaluate their behavior (Carr, 2016; Lequia, Machalicek & Lyons, 2013). These deficits may limit the ability to engage in school, work or social settings (Carr, 2016).
Neitzel (2010) provides a relatively different perspective of behaviors associated with ASD. The researcher contends that involvement in disruptive and other challenging behaviors is not a pre-requisite or requirement for a diagnosis of ASD. However, children with ASD are increasingly at risk of developing a challenging behavior, which has tremendous negative impacts on their learning and development within and outside the classroom. This researcher states that challenging behaviors associated with ASD are classified into two categories i) repetitive and stereotypical behaviors and ii) disruptive behaviors. Examples of repetitive and stereotypical behaviors include repetitive rocking of one’s body whereas disruptive behaviors include aggression and tantrums. These two categories of behaviors can significantly inhibit a students with ASD from making meaningful involvement in learning activities and social interactions with others. Therefore, the two categories of challenging behaviors limit the ability of students with ASD to acquire vital academic, communication, and social skills.
Self-regulation and autism spectrum disorders. Self-regulation is defined as a person’s own application of behavior change principles in order to generate the desired change in his/her behavior as well as ability to regulate emotion and react appropriately to sensory stimulation (Carr, 2016; Barnard-Brack et al., 2014). Wilkinson (2008) state that today’s schools have witnessed an increase in the number of students with ASD. The prevalence of ASD in schools continue to increase, but there is not a single effective intervention for the condition (Wilkinson, 2008). As a result, teachers experience difficulties in supporting children with this condition in the general education classroom. Wilkinson (2008) state that proactive approaches like self-management have shown huge potential in dealing with poor behavioral regulation by students with ASD.
Balch & Ray (2014) state that the increase in prevalence of ASD among students in the modern educational environment has necessitated the development of appropriate interventions to help lessen the associated impairments emerging from these disorders. These researchers contend that self-regulation of students with ASD is essential since these students have difficulties regulating their own behaviors and emotions. Neitzel (2010) states that promoting self-regulation of students with ASD is one of the major challenges facing teachers, parents, and other practitioners working with such children.
Laurent & Gorman (2017) define self-regulation of students with ASD based on the concept of emotional self-regulation. In this regard, they define emotional self-regulation as the developmental abilities of individuals to supervise, evaluate, and change their emotional state and arousal level to sustain involvement and achieve objectives. They contend that self-regulation of students with ASD has been associated with positive socio-emotional development and pro-social involvement in learning activities. As a result, deficits in self-regulation generate reactive aggression and externalizing behaviors that interfere with involvement in learning activities. Similarly, Beckman et al. (2019) states that ASD and its associated behaviors require specialized intervention planning for schools in order to meet the needs of students with this condition. They contend that successful interventions for self-regulation of students with ASD need to address behavioral challenges and academic deficits facing these students. Unlike other researchers, Beckman et al. (2019) states that self-regulation of self-management of students with ASD is an easily implemented intervention that addresses the needs of these students in an educational setting. These researchers suggest that self-regulation interventions can be easily developed by teachers and implemented in the classroom in a manner that promote the self-awareness of these students and their ability to function autonomously. In this case, self-regulation interventions for students with ASD are easy to implement since they involve teaching these students desired or targeted behavior as well as the self-regulation strategy they can utilize to achieve this.
Evidence-based approaches that improve self-regulation of students with ASD. Carr, Moore & Anderson (2014) state that many treatment approaches have been utilized to help enhance self-regulation of students with ASD. However, most of these approaches are yet to the standard of scientific proof in relation to procedures used in applied behavior analysis. As a result, these researchers contend that self-management of self-regulation interventions for students with AD should focus on promoting skill acquisition and behavior improvements. These researchers suggest that such interventions are the current best practice for students with ASD since they entail the application of applied behavior analysis. This implies that evidence-based approaches for self-regulation of students with ASD incorporate applied behavior analysis concepts.
Barnard-Brak et al. (2014) provide a different perspective by arguing that interventions toward self-regulation of students with autism should focus on promoting self-regulation and social interaction skills. Interventions should focus on these two areas since existing evidence shows that children with ASD largely suffer from deficits in self-regulation and social interactions. Carr (2016) examined interventions that can be utilized in the classroom setting to promote self-regulation among students with ASD. The study found that there are numerous interventions used to achieve this including stimulus preference assessment, timers, token, picture prompt instruction training, peer training, verbal praise, discrimination training, social stories, recording sheet for self-monitoring, and sticker charts. The researcher found that timers, verbal praise, toke, recording sheet for self-monitoring, social stories and sticker charts are more effective in dealing with disruptive behaviors like tantrums, aggression, self-injury, and off-task (Carr, 2016).
Kokina & Kern (2010) state that social stories are among the most commonly used techniques or interventions for self-regulation among students with ASD. Social stories enhance ASD students’ self-regulation through improving an individual’s social skills. Social stories also promote transition and desired behavior among students with ASD. When utilized, social stories enable students with ASD to lessen disruptive behaviors and improve desired behavior. Similarly, Wilkinson (2008) suggests that social support interventions and techniques are suitable toward promoting self-regulation of students with ASD since they provide students with necessary support for task compliance and completion. Neitzel (2010) support the use of social support systems in promoting self-regulation among students with ASD by introducing the concept of positive behavior support (PBS). PBS is a prevention and intervention mechanism that improves the quality of life of such students through enhancing their appropriate behaviors and modifying the learning environment to prevent the occurrence and reoccurrence of challenging behaviors in the classroom. Neitzel (2010) further contends that PBS provides focused support and intervention to students with ASD in primary, secondary and tertiary levels of their growth and development.
Dieringer et al. (2017) differs by arguing that increasing physical activity in students with autism seems to be the most suitable approach toward promoting their self-regulation. These researchers state that physical activity in these students can be enhanced through modeling, music, and prompting. Engagement in regular physical activity helps to enhance self-regulation of students with ASD through improving overall health and self-esteem while decreasing stress and anxiety. These researchers contend that existing research has demonstrated that increased involvement in regular physical activity has shown concomitant enhancements in academic achievement, attention, and time on task. They further state that physical activity has long-term benefits for self-regulation of students with ASD since their benefits last long as these students remain active through adulthood.
On the contrary, Bruhn, McDaniel & Kreigh (2015) argues that self-regulation or self-management of students with behavior problems like those associated with ASD requires specific strategies. The specific strategies that falls under self-management of students with ASD include self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-instruction, self-regulated strategy development, and goal setting (Bruhn, McDaniel & Kreigh, 2015). Schulze (2016) concurs by stating that self-management strategies for students with ASD include self-management, self-instruction, self-monitoring, and self-graphing or self-charting. These strategies are considered suitable and effective in self-regulation of students with ASD since they focus on promoting student independence, self-awareness, self-reliance, and competence. Despite the rare use of these strategies in the modern classroom environment, they have been found to enhance academic, social, and other classroom behaviors of students with ASD.
Lequia, Machalicek & Lyons (2013) state that parents of school-age children with ASD are commonly asked to help their children with academic tasks. Using parents to provide help to school-going children with ASD is part of social support techniques that improve self-regulation. Therefore, teaching parents to implement behavior support strategies with their children is critical toward promoting self-regulation of students with ASD. To act as effective social support systems to children with ASD, parents provide assistance through education sessions, individual coaching, and performance feedback (Lequia, Machalicek & Lyons, 2013). Hampshire, Butera & Bellini (2016) support the involvement of parents as interventionists to help enhance self-regulation of students with ASD. Similar to Lequia, Machalicek & Lyons (2013), Hampshire, Butera & Bellini (2016) state that parents can help in this process through assisting their children with homework. These researchers support the involvement of parents on the premise that they play an important role in helping children with ASD to realize greater independence. Additionally, parents of children with ASD have proven effective in delivering different interventions that decrease inappropriate behavior among the children, enhance communication, and enhance child-parent relationships. Laurent & Gorman (2017) state that parents enhance self-regulation of their children with ASD through engaging in different behaviors that support their children’s emotional self-regulation. This implies that parental involvement or parent-based interventions enhance self-regulation of students with ASD through lessening development challenges linked to the condition.
Method
To achieve the purpose of this study, I will employ mixed methods research methodology. Mixed methods research is a research methodology that is used to conduct a study in which quantitative and qualitative data is collected, analyzed, and integrated. Through this methodology, I will collect quantitative and qualitative data relating to self-regulation of students with ASD. Mixed methods technique will be utilized since it provides a premise for the researcher to obtain data from participants in the natural contexts and conduct statistical analysis of the data. The selection of this research methodology for this study is influenced by the nature of the phenomenon under investigation. The nature of this phenomenon under investigation requires making philosophical assumptions that guide data collection and analysis. Mixed methods research entails making such assumptions when collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.
As part of conducting the mixed methods research, I will utilize two data collection methods i.e. participant observation and field notes. Participant observation is a data collection technique in which the research observes participants, physical aspects and/or activities relating to the phenomenon being investigated. For this study, participant observation will be carried out on teaching practices and approaches utilized by teachers in classrooms with students with ASD. Participant observation of self-regulation approaches utilized by teachers for students with ASD is an important data collection technique critical since it will enable me to have first-hand experience on the phenomenon under investigation. The second data collection technique I will use is field notes, which primarily entails observing and recording everything and looking for paradoxes in the process. I intend to observe and record teaching practices and approaches used by teachers to promote self-regulation of students with ASD. During this process, I will take note of the effectiveness of these approaches in enhancing the students’ self-regulation. As an active data collection technique in action research, field notes will help me to obtain rich data from participants since the data will be collected from their natural contexts. I intend to collect data from the participants for a period of three months.
Results
I will analyze my data using triangulation. In this case, quantitative data will be descriptively analyzed for frequency of occurrence while qualitative data will be analyzed through data coding and assigning a number to a code before counting the number of times it occurs. Quantitative and qualitative data will then be compared. Triangulation is a data analysis technique that is commonly applied in mixed methods research. When examining approaches used by teachers to promote self-regulation among students with ASD, I will collect quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. I will then analyze the data sets using triangulation to determine the evidence-based approaches for promoting self-regulation of these students in the classroom. Triangulation will be employed in this study since helps evaluate multiple data sets or data sources to produce a common understanding of the phenomenon being investigated. Data obtained from the observations and field notes need to be compared and integrated to develop a common understanding of the issue of self-regulation of students with ASD. Triangulation will provide a premise for comparison, analysis and integration of data obtained through participant observation and field notes. I will present my data using descriptive statistics. In this case, data will be presented using tables, charts or graphs. Additionally, I intend to create a report that provides research findings based on emerging themes or patterns in the data.
Conclusion
This study is significant since it will help in identification of evidence-based approaches that improve the mental health and self-regulation of students with ASD within and outside the learning environment.