The Effectiveness of a Behavioral Training Program to Improve Joint Attention in Children with Moderate Intellectual Disability in Jordan

Abstract

This study aimed to recognize the effect of a behavioral training program on the improvement of joint attention in children with moderate intellectual disability in Jordan, where the experimental method has been applied by single-case research design, and the researcher has prepared and applied the standard for joint attention in children with moderate intellectual disability, whose age ranged between (8-11 years)after indices of validity and reliability necessary for the scale has been calculated.

The number of individuals in the study sample is (20) child with moderate intellectual disability, who have been chosen from one of the centers for special education, which is specialized in rehabilitating, training and educating children with intellectual disability in Irbid province, where they had been chosen intentionally because the required conditions in the sample are met. Additionally, a behavioral training program has been applied to develop joint attention skills in children with moderate intellectual disability after indicators of validity, which are necessary for the program, has been calculated. Also, the study results showed that there are differences between the averages, in favor of the posttest design in the total score, where the average is (2.092) in the posttest design, which indicated that the program was effective in improving joint attention in children with moderate intellectual disability. Furthermore, the results showed that there are statistically-significant differences at significance level (0.05(α = in the total score for the standard, and in the dimensions included in the standard of joint attention, in favor of posttest design, where the difference between the two averages in the total score is(0.356) in favor of the posttest.