Effectiveness of The SCERTS Model to Improve Communication of Learners with Autism (Dissertation Sample)

A Case Study of an Individualised Pull-Out Intervention for A KS2 Student with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Hong Kong Primary School.
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Introduction
The cases of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been on the rice over the past few years. About 12% of learners in primary school and 10% of learners in secondary institutions have special educational needs (SEN). In higher learning centres, about 19% of those between the age of 16 and 19 and 16% pf those within the 19-24 age bracket have reported having some kind of learning difficulty (Carroll et al. 2017, p. 12). The special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) add responsibilities to teachers who are forced to meet the social, academic, and behavioural needs of this group of students. Unfortunately, the teachers do not get the support they need from the educational stakeholders to ensure that the needs of these learners are met (Carroll et al., p. 11). Majority of the teachers with SEN learners lack the knowledge about: the characteristics of ASD, the effect of the condition on the learner’s performance, the academic profile of such students, and the relevant interventions to improve the overall wellbeing and outcome of the individuals with ASD. As such, additional research is critical to provide information on the best methods necessary to ensure that the needs of the SEN students are met with the aim of making a positive impact in the lives of the learners.
A common issue among learners with ASD is poor reading comprehension and delayed development of speech. According to Odom et al. (2021), about 50% of individuals with ASD have the challenge of verbal communication by the time they are joining school. The condition results in the impairment of receptive and expressive forms of communication. Learners that have this type of challenge always find it challenging to socialize with their peers, and are always unable to interpret important cues, which may lead to bullying or rejection. According to Fleury et al. (2014), learners with ASD may possess superior visual processing skills, but they are often slow in processing linguistic information. This not only affects their ability to socialize with others, but also leads to behavioural and communicative challenges.
Based on the identified gap in learning, this study attempts to understand the effectiveness of SCERTS Model, a pull-out intervention, in addressing the learning challenges among learners with ASD (Morgan et al. 2018, p. 631). The intervention was adopted to address the challenges of verbal and written communication among children with ASD. The SCERTS model refers to a multidisciplinary approach aimed at improving the communication abilities of learners as well as their emotional stability. The approach is used in learning institutions because of its effectiveness in improving communication skills among SEND learners. This study focuses on a case study review of a student in P6 in a Hong Kong school. It examines how, why, and to what extent the intervention supports improvements in literacy for individual student with autism disorder.