Arab Educational Information Network

The current study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a program based on horse riding using (PRT) Pivotal Response Treatment techniques in improving Sensory processing and Social communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The sample consisted of (16) children with Autism Spectrum Disorder divided into two groups. An experimental group of (8) children and a control group (8) and their ages ranged between (6-10) years from the children enrolled in the Wafa Autism Center of the Bahrain Society for Intellectual Disability and Autism in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The research tools consisted of the “Abbreviated Sensory Profile Scale” prepared by (Dunn 1999) and the “Social Communication Scale” prepared by (Rutter, Bailey & Lord, 2010) in addition to the training program to improve Sensory Processing and Social Communication prepared by the researcher and the semi-experimental approach was used. The results of the research indicated that there are statistically significant differences between the mean levels of the experimental group and the control group. Results were in favor of the experimental group with both Sensory Processing and Social Communication. Furthermore, both the scales were implemented on the experimental group before and after the application of the Pivotal Response treatment and statistically significant difference was present indicating an improvement of both Sensory Processing and Social communication after the application of Pivotal Response treatment. This indicates the effectiveness of the PRT program with horseback riding to improve Sensory Processing and Social Communication in children with autism spectrum disorder. (Published abstract)