Evaluation of preschool transition program for children with autism spectrum disorders

Sa？etak The characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) make their inclusion in mainstream preschool institutions a very demanding and complex process. The development of children's prerequisite skills through evidence-based support programs will ensure the positive effects of inclusion in their peer group. In this paper, the results of the implementation of individualized programs for five preschool children with ASD are presented. Programs were conducted within a special transition group for children with ASD in a mainstream kindergarten. The goal of the program is to prepare children for successful inclusion in a mainstream program. The foundations of the program are: visual support, behavioural methods and the DIR/Floortime model, and the PECS method. The "Assessment of basic language and learning skills" (ABLLS) test was used for the evaluation of all programs. The results demonstrated that all participants made progress in all teaching areas of the program: communication, social skills and play. The conclusions of this study emphasize the importance of data collection and the evaluation of therapeutic work and the availability of similar programs in other preschool institutions in Croatia