Social Skills Support and Learning Outcomes Among Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Kenya
Main Article Content
Keywords
Social skills support, learning outcomes, learners, autism spectrum disorders, Kenya
Abstract
Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often experience challenges in social interaction, communication, and behaviour that can affect academic and personal development. In Kenya, special primary schools deliver targeted interventions, yet the impact of social skills supports on learning outcomes remains underexplored. This study investigated the relationship between social skills supports and learning outcomes among learners with ASD in Kenya, guided by Skinner’s operant conditioning theory. The study adopted a sequential explanatory design, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Using stratified and simple random sampling, 138 teachers were selected to participate in the quantitative phase of the study, while 15 principals were randomly selected and interviewed for the qualitative phase. The social supports questionnaire and the learning outcomes assessment scale generated quantitative data, while semi-structured interviews provided qualitative insights. Two specialists in special needs education in Kenya reviewed the questionnaires to establish content validity. Reliability testing using the split-half method produced a coefficient of 0.858, indicating high internal consistency. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, whereas qualitative data from principal interviews underwent thematic analysis to identify recurrent patterns. The study found a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between social skills supports and overall learning outcomes among learners with autism spectrum disorders (r = .254, p = .003). Social skills support was strongly associated with behavioural (r = .311, p < .001), social/emotional (r = .245, p = .004), and communication (r = .230, p = .007) outcomes than with cognitive outcomes (r = .157, p = .066). Regression analysis showed that these supports explained 6.5% of the variance in learning outcomes, with significant effects on behavioural, social/emotional and communication domains, but not on cognitive outcomes. Thematic analysis revealed improvements in emotional stability, language development, tolerance and behavioural management. The study concludes that social skills support positively influence several aspects of learning for learners with ASD. It is recommended that teachers should adopt use social skills intervention in the classroom to enhance social skills among learners with autism.
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Remi Odero Orao , School of Education, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
School of Education, University of Eldoret, P.O. Box 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya