THE EFFECT OF USING VISUAL SCHEDULE MEDIA IN IMPROVING THE PRE-MEAL INDEPENDENCE OF AUTISM CHILDREN

Abstract

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder often experience obstacles in daily living skills, including pre-meal independence, due to difficulties in behavioral regulation and information processing, thus creating a gap between the ideal developmental abilities and actual abilities of elementary school-aged children. This study aims to test the effectiveness of using visual schedule media in improving pre-meal independence in children with autism through analyzing behavioral changes in each intervention phase. The study used a quantitative approach with a single subject research design with an A-B-A pattern on an 8-year-old child in an inclusive school with observation instruments based on task analysis covering aspects of food preparation, use of cutlery, eating process and post-meal. Data analysis was carried out visually through line graphs to see the effectiveness using Percentage Non-Overlapping Data or PND. The results of the study showed an increase in eating independence ability from 66.6% in the baseline phase to 100% at the end of the intervention phase with a PND value of 100%. These findings indicate that visual schedule media is effective in improving and maintaining eating independence in children with ASD. This study contributes to strengthening evidence-based intervention practices in education, especially in the development of structured and individualized daily living skills.