Effects of Activity Schedules on Challenging Behavior Exhibited in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Lequia, J., Machalicek, W., et al. (2012).
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6(1), 480-492.
This systematic review investigates the effects of activity schedules on behavior (e.g., self-regulation, independence, transition, play) in children, 3-18 years old, on the autism spectrum.
Not stated
1990-2010
Peer-reviewed studies (not further specified)
18
"The findings of this review found that activity schedules, when used in general education classrooms, were less effective than when implemented in segregated classroom settings" (p. 489).
"Regardless of the form and intended purpose, activity schedules are effective in reducing the challenging behavior .... However, there was evidence of variations with regard to effectiveness of activity schedules across settings" (p. 489). Due to the limited number of studies describing variables such as communication abilities or autism characteristics, the authors were unable to identify efficacy trends related to those variables.
