Use of activity schedule to promote independent performance of individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities: A review

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 2235 - 2242
• Main Authors: Koyama, Takanori, Wang, Hui-Ting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Activities; Activities of Daily Living; Activity schedule; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Autism; Autistic Disorder - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; Carers; Child; Child clinical studies; Developmental disorders; Education of Intellectually Disabled - methods; Education of Intellectually Disabled - organization & administration; Group homes; Humans; Independence; Infantile autism; Initiation; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual Disability - rehabilitation; Learning disabilities; Leisure Activities; Literature Reviews; Medical sciences; Mental Retardation; Outcomes of Treatment; Program Effectiveness; Prompting; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Scheduling; Self Care - methods; Self Determination; Self-management; Selfmanagement; Time on Task; Visual supports; Self-management; Autism; Activity schedule; Visual supports; Independence; Handicap; Self management; Developmental disorder; Review; Mental retardation; Vision; Intellectual deficiency; Perception; Performance
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.003

► A corpus of the reviewed studies supports applications of activity schedule in school and (group) home settings. ► The results demonstrated the effectiveness of activity schedules for promoting independence and self-management skills of a broad range of individuals with intellectual disabilities. ► Less than 40% of the reviewed articles included maintenance and generalization performances and social validity of using activity schedule. A literature review was conducted on the effectiveness of activity schedules. Twenty three studies that a) were peer-reviewed, b) were experimental, c) implemented activity schedule as a primary intervention, d) incorporated multiple activities, and e) aimed to teach learners to self-manage individual schedules were included in the review. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of activity schedules for promoting independence and self-management skills for a broad range of individuals with intellectual disabilities. An increase in engagement and on-task behavior was the most frequently cited outcome, followed by independent task initiation or transition and self-scheduling. Failure to include social validity measures and caregivers as interventionists were discussed. A corpus of the reviewed studies supports applications of activity schedule in school and (group) home settings.