Gülen Baran

A Sensory Integration Therapy Program on Sensory Problems for Children with Autism

The study was planned to investigate the effect of a sensory integration therapy program on sensory problems of children with autism. This study was conducted at the Trakya University Training and Research Center for Mentally and Physically Handicapped Children in Turkey. The children were separated into two groups, each comprising 15 children between 7 and 11 years of age with autism, according to DSM-IV criteria. The children in each group were assessed initially on a checklist, Sensory Evaluation Form for Children with Autism, developed to evaluate sensory characteristics of children with autism, and at the end of the study, participants were assessed again on the checklist. Statistically significant differences between groups indicated that the sensory integration therapy program positively affected treated children.

The effects of parent education programs on the development of children aged between 60 and 72 months

The effects of a parent education program on the development of children aged between 60 and 72 months attending preschool were assessed. Participants were children attending 9 kindergartens located in central Ankara and their parents (experimental group: 68 children, 68 parents, control group: 68 children, 68 parents). Data were gathered using a general information form, and the version of the Brigance Early Development Inventory II (Brigance, 2004), that was adapted for use in Turkey by Aral et al. (2008). There was a significant difference between the scores on the subtests of the Brigance Early Development Inventory II and the total pretest and corrected posttest scores independent of group, but no significant difference was found between the scores of the groups on the Brigance Early Development Inventory II or the total pretest and corrected posttest scores. The results also revealed that the parent education program had a minimal effect on children’s daily life and social emotional skills.