Life Skills In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Light Of Some Variables

This study aimed to identify differences in life skills among children with ASD in light of the variables (gender, severity of autism spectrum disorder, chronological age). The study sample consisted of (40) children with ASD, (30) males and (10) females, whose chronological ages ranged between (4-9) years, with an average age of (6.71) years and a standard deviation of (1.79). The sample’s IQ ranged between (90-110), and it included (12) children with mild ASD and (28) children with moderate ASD. The comparative descriptive approach was used, and the study employed the following tools: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition; the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-3 (GARS-3) for diagnosing symptoms and severity of autism spectrum disorder; and the Life Skills Scale for children with ASD. The results of the study showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the average scores of children with ASD on the Life Skills Scale attributable to the child’s gender, as the (T-test) value was not statistically significant. However, there are statistically significant differences between the average scores of children with ASD on the Life Skills Scale attributable to the child’s chronological age, as the (T-test) value was statistically significant at the level of (0.01). Additionally, there are statistically significant differences between the average scores of children with ASD on the Life Skills Scale attributable to the severity of autism spectrum disorder, with children with moderate ASD (higher severity) showing significant differences, as the (T-test) value was statistically significant at the level of (0.05). The study concluded that chronological age and the severity of autism spectrum disorder are significant factors influencing the development of life skills in children with ASD, whereas gender does not have a clear effect. Keywords: Life Skills, Autism spectrum disorder