Using Montessori activities to develop the reading skills of autistic children with high functioning

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a Montessori-based program in developing reading skills among high-functioning children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to examine the sustainability of these improvements over time. The study sample consisted of six children with ASD aged between five and eight years. Research instruments included the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Third Edition (GARS-3) ، the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales، Fifth Edition (standardized by Mahmoud Abu El-Niel، 2013)، a researcher-developed reading skills test، and a Montessori-based reading intervention program. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the Montessori-based program in enhancing reading skills among high-functioning children with ASD، and this improvement was sustained during the follow-up periodAutism disorder is a developmental disorder, and interest in it has increased relatively in the Arab countries during the last ten years. Leo-Kenner in 1943 was the first to refer to autism as a disorder that occurs in childhood, and many names have been used for this disorder, such as: autism, Rumination, autism, childhood isolation, and childhood psychosis. The use of these labels is due to the ambiguity and complexity of the different diagnosis of autism.

Keywords: Montessori activities ،Reading ، spectrum disorder