Developing visual-motor coordination through ABLLS-R-based training in children with moderate autism spectrum disorder

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.