Empowering Exceptional Children

Empowering Exceptional Children

The Effectiveness of the Family-Centered Responsive Teaching Steps Program Based on Functional Reading on Adaptive Behavior and Communication Skills in Children with Down Syndrome

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ebrahim Rahbar Karbasdehi 1
Gholam Ali Afrooz 2
Zahra Naghsh 3
1 Ph.D. Student of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ceciranj.2026.581543.2037
Abstract
The present study examined the effectiveness of the family-centered Responsive Teaching Steps program based on functional reading on adaptive behavior and communication skills in children with Down syndrome. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and a three-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of 53 children aged 9 to 12 years with Down syndrome, who attended the Pardis Rehabilitation Center in Rasht in 2025, along with their parents. A sample of 15 children with Down syndrome (9 boys and 6 girls) was selected through convenience sampling and assigned to the experimental group. The research instruments included the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–Third Edition (ABAS-3) and the Children’s Communication Checklist–Second Edition (CCC-2). The training program was delivered to parents in the experimental group over eight 90-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests via SPSS-27. The results indicated that the program significantly improved adaptive behavior and communication skills in children with Down syndrome (p < .05). Post-hoc analyses further demonstrated that these effects remained stable through the follow-up phase. Based on the findings, the family-centered Responsive Teaching Steps program grounded in functional reading appears to have meaningful implications for enhancing behavioral and communication skills in children with Down syndrome and demonstrates adequate effectiveness.
Keywords
Adaptive Behavior
Communication Skills
Down Syndrome
Responsive Teaching Steps
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 02 February 2026
  • Revise Date 23 May 2026
  • Accept Date 05 June 2026