The Effectiveness of Treatment based on Acceptance and Commitment on Social Adaptation, Academic Self-Regulation and Cognitive Flexibility of Students with Specific Learning Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on social adaptation, academic self-regulation and cognitive flexibility of students with special learning disorders. The research method was semi-experimental using a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a follow-up stage. The statistical population of the present study was made up of female students with learning disabilities in the first secondary level of Sari city, who referred to learning disorder centers in Sari city. In this research, 60 students with specific learning disabilities were selected by purposive sampling and by sampling method They were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. In order to collect data, Ryan and Connell's academic self-regulation questionnaires, Bell's social adjustment and Dennis and Vanderwaal's cognitive flexibility questionnaires were used. First, the pre-test was conducted on two groups, then the experimental group underwent acceptance and commitment-based therapy for 8 sessions, each stage lasting 120 minutes and once a week. Then, the post-test was performed on both groups. While checking the preconditions, covariance analysis and repeated measurement were used for data analysis under SPSS22 software. The results of the research showed that there is a significant difference between the scores of quality of life, academic self-discipline, social adaptation, and cognitive flexibility of the two groups after applying therapy based on acceptance and commitment.