Examining the effects of a shared storybook reading intervention on young children with Autism

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a shared storybook reading intervention on the language and communication skills of young children with autism. The study involved three male children aged between 4 and 7 who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The research was conducted in the homes of the participant children. The study employed the multiple baseline across participants design, one of the single-subject research models. The dependent variable of the study is the children's verbal and non-verbal communicative behaviors (responding to and initiating communication verbally and non-verbally). The independent variable of the study is the effect of the correct and qualified use of natural language support techniques on the verbal and non-verbal communication response and initiation skills of children with ASD. The findings of the study show that, through the appropriate use of interactive storybook reading techniques, the verbal and non-verbal skills of the participants were improved. Additionally, it was found that the participant children were able to maintain these skills 21 days after the teaching sessions had ended. The social validity data were collected through interviews that focused on the families' goals and expectations for the intervention, the procedures for implementing the intervention, and the outcomes obtained at the end of the intervention. These interviews were analyzed based on these three components. The findings regarding social validity indicated that parents expressed positive views about the contribution of the intervention to their children.