A Review of Activity Schedules for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

A review of the literature was conducted regarding the use of activity schedules. Articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals (1986–2015) were identified that evaluates the use of activity schedules with individuals with ASD. The review deals with a total of 28 case studies with 93 participants that met the inclusion criteria. The review analyzes the articles from ten aspects. A quantitative synthesis of outcomes and a summary of studies of individuals with ASD are presented in tables. A school setting was used most frequently, and a teacher was identified as the conductor in 78.6% of the studies. These results indicated that activity schedules have been applied successfully in the field of education. Also, play/leisure skill was the most popular targeted skill, when activity schedules were used for school-aged individuals. As a result, the findings of this review provide further support for the use of activity schedules as an effective tool for modifying various targeted skill in various setting when utilized for individuals with ASD.