Research Summary: Language gains in children with ASD: a study of adapted ABA-based lexical-semantic intervention

A study conducted in Kazakhstan investigated the efficacy of a linguistically and culturally adapted Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) intervention focused on lexical-semantic language development in preschool-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Over nine months, 60 children aged 3-6 participated, with an experimental group receiving the adapted ABA program and a control group receiving standard ABA therapy. Preliminary findings indicated significant improvements over time in lexical-semantic outcomes for the adapted intervention group.

Why it matters

This research provides evidence for the effectiveness of culturally and linguistically adapted interventions for specific developmental areas. It highlights the importance of tailoring evidence-based practices to local contexts to optimize outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Key insights

• A linguistically and culturally adapted ABA intervention was developed for lexical-semantic language development in preschool children with ASD in Kazakhstan.
• The study involved 60 children aged 3-6, split into an experimental group (adapted ABA) and a control group (routine high-intensity VB-MAPP-informed ABA).
• The intervention spanned 720 instructional hours over nine months, utilizing discrete trial teaching and naturalistic learning.
• Lexical-semantic outcomes were measured using a linguistically adapted assessment instrument.
• Data analysis, including a 2x2 repeated-measures ANOVA with age and gender as covariates, showed significant main effects of Time on the lexical-semantic outcomes, indicating improvement.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1803781