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Journals / Erzincan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 28 Sayı: 2026

Examining Variables Moderating the Effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklarda Temel Tepki Öğretiminin Etkililiğini Yordayan Değişkenlerin İncelenmesi: Tek Denekli Çalışmaların Meta-Analizi

Şenol Demirtaş(ARTVİN ÇORUH ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-2694-4996
Çığıl Aykut(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, GAZİ EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-0365-9930
Necdet Karasu(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, GAZİ EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-7507-4109
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-02-22
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Among dependent variables, play skills yielded relatively lower outcomes, whereas behavior change produced the highest mean effect size, however, this result was based on a small number of studies.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:The purpose of this research was to explore which variables might moderate the effectiveness of PRT in children diagnosed with or identified as being at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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Key Findings & Data:After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 single-subject design (SSD) studies were included in the meta-analysis.
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Conclusion & Impact:Among dependent variables, play skills yielded relatively lower outcomes, whereas behavior change produced the highest mean effect size, however, this result was based on a small number of studies.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu · Temel Tepki Öğretimi · tek denekli desen

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore which variables might moderate the effectiveness of PRT in children diagnosed with or identified as being at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Searching was conducted using four databases (Academic Search Ultimate, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 single-subject design (SSD) studies were included in the meta-analysis. Data were coded according to participant characteristics, intervention setting, and dependent variables. Effect sizes were calculated based on the Percentage of Non-Overlapping Data (PND). The findings showed that PRT is strongly effective across multiple domains, including communication, academic skills, behavior change, and play. Effect sizes were slightly larger for children aged 7–12 compared to younger children, suggesting that school-aged children may benefit at least as much as preschoolers. Regarding setting, interventions conducted across both home and clinic environments produced the strongest effect sizes, while clinic-only interventions showed the lowest. Among dependent variables, play skills yielded relatively lower outcomes, whereas behavior change produced the highest mean effect size, however, this result was based on a small number of studies.

Özet

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB) olan çocuklarda Temel Tepki Öğretimi’nin (TTÖ) etkililiğini yordayan değişkenleri incelemektir. Araştırmalar dört veri tabanından (Academic Search Ultimate, ERIC, Scopus ve Web of Science) elde edilmiştir. Dahil edilme ölçütlerine göre 24 tek denekli araştırma meta-analiz yöntemi analiz edilmiştir. Veriler katılımcı özellikleri, müdahale ortamı ve bağımlı değişkenler açısından kodlanmıştır. Etki büyüklükleri, örtüşmeyen verilerin yüzdesi (PND) kullanılarak hesaplanmıştır. Bulgular, TTÖ’nün iletişim, akademik beceriler, davranış değişikliği ve oyun becerileri dahil olmak üzere birçok alanda güçlü bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. 7–12 yaş aralığındaki çocuklarda etki büyüklükleri, daha küçük yaş grubuna kıyasla kısmen yüksek bulunmuştur. Müdahale ortamına göre ev ve klinik ortamının birlikte kullanıldığı uygulamalar en yüksek etki büyüklüğüne sahipken yalnızca klinik ortamında yürütülen çalışmalar en düşük değerleri göstermiştir. Bağımlı değişkenler açısından oyun becerileri görece daha düşük etki büyüklükleri ile sonuçlanırken davranış değişikliğine yönelik çalışmalar en yüksek ortalama etkiyi göstermiştir. Ancak bu sonuç az sayıda çalışmaya dayandığı için dikkatle yorumlanmalıdır.

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Cite This Article

Demirtaş, Ş., Aykut, Ç., Karasu, N. (2026). Examining Variables Moderating the Effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies. Erzincan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 28 Sayı: 2026. https://doi.org/10.17556/erziefd.1787623

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