EMPOWERING MINDS: ACTIVITY-CENTRIC MONTESSORI APPROACH AMONG MILD NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN

Abstract

The cognitive development is one of the focal areas of the early childhood development, and it involves the processes of perceptions, memory, and understandings. The current research analyzed the effectiveness of Montessori pedagogy in improving cognitive development in children with mild autism using activity-based learning. A quasi-experimental design was employed, use of a cohort of 30 children with mild autism (20 boys, 10 girls) who were recruited in various educational institutions within the Multan, Pakistan. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental group of participants that received Montessori-based intervention and a control group (n = 15 participants per group). Screening was through Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and cognitive age assessed before and after the intervention with the help of Portage Guide to Early Education (PGEE). It was found that the cognition improved significantly for the group with the Montessori-based activities learning in comparison to the control group with a statistically significant effect. There were concealed substantial disparities in the results of cognitive performance as a matter of the residential locality or socioeconomic status. These observations altogether suggest that Montessori education is an effective education modality that can be used to supplement cognitive performance among children with mild autism hence its incorporation in inclusive education facilities.