Evaluating the Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder Programs on Self-Regulation and Social Interaction: Perspectives from Families

The current study sought to evaluate the impact of programs used to enhance the self-regulation and social interaction for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as perceived by their families. The descriptive approach was used to collect and analyze data and derive conclusions after developing the study instruments. The study sample consisted of 150 families of children with ASD enrolled in special education centers in Amman, Jordan. The study participants were purposefully selected to respond to the two provided measurement scales. To measure the impact of the intervention programs, the researchers developed the Self-Regulation Behavior Scale and the Social Interaction Scale, ensuring the validity and reliability of both scales. The results of the study indicated that from the families’ perspective, programs for children with ASD had a moderate impact on enhancing self-regulation and a high impact on social interaction. Additionally, the findings of the study revealed statistically significant differences in the degree of improvement in self-regulation and social interaction behaviors related to the child’s gender and the severity of their disorder. However, no statistically significant differences were found related to the child’s age and gender in their level of improvement in self-regulation and social interaction behaviors.