Naturalistic teaching approaches for children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of single-subject experimental design graduate theses conducted in Türkiye

Naturalistic teaching approaches constitute an important field of research that utilizes existing materials and spontaneous situations in the child’s environment within the teaching process. The purpose of this study is to examine national graduate theses that employ naturalistic teaching approaches in the education of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, conducted using single-subject experimental designs, in terms of their descriptive characteristics, publication status in peer-reviewed journals, and adherence to the design standards established by the What Works Clearinghouse. The research was structured based on the systematic review method, and eighteen theses that met the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. The process of identifying the theses included in the research was reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Descriptive analysis findings revealed that the most frequently used independent variables in the theses were incidental teaching and pivotal response training, and that language/communication skills and social skills were the most commonly targeted skill areas. Furthermore, except for one study, all theses included at least one maintenance session and social validity data, and generalization sessions were conducted in most of the studies. A portion of the examined theses were found to have been published in a peer-reviewed journal (n = 5, 27.8%). Findings related to design standards indicated that only four of the theses fully met the WWC (2020) standards, eight met the standards conditionally, and six did not meet the standards. The results of the study demonstrate that naturalistic teaching approaches are effective, yet methodological improvements are necessary to meet design standards. The findings were discussed within the framework of the current literature, and recommendations for future research, policies, and practices were provided.