Teaching Technique of Students with Autism in Saudi Arabia - Thesis Example

The state of research provides sufficient information about the role of video modeling in teaching autistic children; the main problem, however, is that the majority of the recent research findings come from the West and do not account for the cultural differences in autistic children. As a result, there is an urgent need to reconsider the effectiveness and consequences of using video modeling with autistic children in Saudi Arabia.
Background and Rationale for the Study
Autism is fairly regarded as a global disorder (Al-Salehi & Ghaziuddin, 2009; Al-Salehi, Al-Hifthy & Ghaziuddin, 2009). Unfortunately, little is known about its incidence and prevalence in Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia. Given that most of the published information about autism and the teaching strategies for autistic children comes from the West, it is probable that this information may not be applicable in other countries. For example, 90% of autism cases in the industrialized world are believed to be caused by genetic factors; whether genetic factors are responsible for autism in Saudi Arabia is yet to be discovered (Al-Salehi & Ghaziuddin, 2009). Nevertheless, some reports claim the estimated number of children with autism in Saudi Arabia exceeds 42,500 (Al-Salehi & Ghaziuddin, 2009). As a result, almost 43,000 children in Saudi Arabia are currently in need of the development of effective teaching strategies, to help them learn basic skills and to meet the predetermined learning and knowledge objectives.

Research Questions and Objectives
The proposed research will seek to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling in teaching autistic children in Saudi Arabia. The basic research question to answer is whether video modeling is a relevant approach to teaching children with autism in Saudi Arabia. The specific research questions to answer include:
• What is video modeling?
• What has been found about the effectiveness of video modeling in teaching autistic children so far?
• How effective is video modeling for teaching autistic children in Saudi Arabia?
• Does culture influence the effectiveness of video modeling techniques with autistic children?
Literature Review
That the current state of research provides a wealth of information about video modeling for teaching autistic children cannot be denied. How video modeling works in learning environments with autistic children has long been the object of peer scientific research. Rosenberg, Schwartz, and Davis (2010) evaluated the effects of using a video modeling technique to teach three autistic preschoolers to wash their hands: the use of the commercially available video model did not result in significant skill improvements, and only the use of the customized video models helped the children to acquire at least some hand washing skills. Fittipaldi-Wert and Mowling (2009) explored “the relevance of the video visual support for students with autism in physical education classes” (Fittipaldi-Wert et al, 2009). The researchers proposed a new communication technique that helps such students to succeed in physical education. Video modeling is most frequently discussed in the context of acquiring social skills by children with autism. According to the results of video modeling practice, it produces a desirable effect on the patients. As Fittipaldi-Wert and Mowling (2009) state, “it helps people express hidden emotions, reduces stress, fear, and anxiety, and provides a sense of freedom” (Fittipaldi-Wert et al, 2009). It is also believed that video modeling influences the brain cells and makes necessary chemicals released by the cells of the brain Charlop et al (2010) confirm that children with autism often lack social skills needed to engage others effectively, and the use of video modeling proved to lead to rapid acquisition of socially expressive skills in autistic children. In a similar vein, Tetreault and Lerman (2010) proved that video modeling was effective in teaching children with autism to initiate and maintain a conversation. Unfortunately, all these works originate in the West and do not account for the possible cultural differences in autistic children. The proposed research will seek to close this gap in the literature.
Methodology
The proposed research will use the benefits of the multiple baseline research design – the research design framework most frequently used with autistic children (Charlop et al, 2010; Tetreault & Lerman, 2010). The proposed methodology will make it easier to evaluate the progress of autistic children in Saudi Arabia with video modeling teaching techniques. Qualitative data analysis techniques will be used, to see if the use of video modeling while teaching children with autism in Saudi Arabia is relevant and justified. The research will involve the use of commercially available video modeling techniques. The children will be evaluated, based on the effectiveness and quality of social skills (communication with peers) they acquire as a result of the research.
Possible Limitations and Bias
That the study will involve only a few children with autism is fairly regarded as one of its basic limitations. The use of commercially available video modeling techniques presents another issue: based on the previous findings, commercially available video modeling techniques are not always an appropriate form of teaching children with autism. However, the researcher expects that the results of the study will become the beginning of a series of subsequent research in Saudi Arabia.