Research Article

Examining Variables Moderating the Effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies

Volume: 28 Number: 2026 February 22, 2026
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Examining Variables Moderating the Effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore which variables might moderate the effectiveness of PRT in children diagnosed with or identified as being at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Searching was conducted using four databases (Academic Search Ultimate, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 24 single-subject design (SSD) studies were included in the meta-analysis. Data were coded according to participant characteristics, intervention setting, and dependent variables. Effect sizes were calculated based on the Percentage of Non-Overlapping Data (PND). The findings showed that PRT is strongly effective across multiple domains, including communication, academic skills, behavior change, and play. Effect sizes were slightly larger for children aged 7–12 compared to younger children, suggesting that school-aged children may benefit at least as much as preschoolers. Regarding setting, interventions conducted across both home and clinic environments produced the strongest effect sizes, while clinic-only interventions showed the lowest. Among dependent variables, play skills yielded relatively lower outcomes, whereas behavior change produced the highest mean effect size, however, this result was based on a small number of studies.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The authors declare that their work is not subject to ethics committee approval and that the rules established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) were followed throughout the entire process.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Autism and Spectrum Disorder Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

February 22, 2026

Submission Date

September 19, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 24, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 28 Number: 2026

APA
Demirtaş, Ş., Aykut, Ç., & Karasu, N. (2026). Examining Variables Moderating the Effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis of Single-Subject Studies. Erzincan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 28(2026). https://doi.org/10.17556/erziefd.1787623