The Effectiveness of a Behavioural Program in Improving the Executive Functions of Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a behavioural program in improving the executive functions of students with intellectual disabilities. The study sample consisted of 38 students. There were 20 participants in the experimental group, 11 males and 9 females, and 18 in the control group. The students’ ages ranged between 7 and 14 years. Teachers implemented the Institutes of Intellectual Education program in Al-Ahsa during the 2022/2023 academic year. An executive function scale and a training program based on behaviour modification strategies were used to reveal the program’s effectiveness. The validity and reliability of the tools were calculated. A semi-experimental approach was used according to the simple design. A t-test was used to analyse the results. The study effectively identified the effectiveness of behaviour modification strategies in improving the executive functions of students with intellectual disabilities. It showed statistically significant differences in the executive functions scale between simple and severe disabilities and between moderate and severe disabilities. The study recommends more diverse behavioural measures to improve the executive functions of students with intellectual disabilities.