EFFECTIVENESS OF PLAY-BASED ACTIVITIES ON DEVELOPING DAILY LIVING SKILLS (DLS) AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

Abstract

Daily living skills are essential for independent functioning and overall development in children with
autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, children with ASD often experience significant difficulties in
acquiring daily living skills due to challenges in daily, taking food, safety awareness and social interaction.
The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of play-based activities in improving daily living
skills among children with autism spectrum disorder. The study adopted an experimental research design
using a single-group pre-test and post-test method. A total of 30 children with autism spectrum disorder
aged at 4 to 10 were selected through purposive sampling. The ASD-Daily Living Skills scale developed
by the researcher was used to measure six dimensions of daily living skills are namely daily care and
hygiene, snack making and eating, house care, time and money management and interpersonal skills. The
activities were implemented using structured play-based activities designed to enhance independence and
functional abilities. The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired sample
t-test. The results revealed a significant improvement in post-test scores compared to pre-test scores across
all dimensions. The total mean score increased from 171.10 in the pre-test to 227.43 in the post-test, and
the obtained t-value (7.254) was statistically significant at the 0.001 level. The findings indicate that play-
based activities are effective in enhancing daily living skills among children with autism spectrum
disorder. The study highlights the importance of structured play-based activities in improving
independence and adaptive functioning in children with ASD.