PhD Degree Awarded to Researcher Mariam Al-Ansi in Psychological Counseling
Researcher Mariam Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ansi was awarded a PhD degree in Psychological Counseling for her dissertation titled: The Effectiveness of an Applied Behavior Analysis Program in Developing Communication Skills Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which was submitted to the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts –Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
# Committee Members Designation Position
1 Dr. Amat Al-Razzaq Mohammed Al-Weshali Internal Examiner Chair
2 Dr. Radhiya Ali Shamsan Main Supervisor Member
3 Dr. Abdulkarim Ismail Zabaibah External Examiner Member
The study aimed to assess the level of verbal and non-verbal communication skills among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to the variables of age and gender, and to evaluate the effectiveness of an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based intervention in developing and improving these communication skills.
The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in communication skills, with the experimental group demonstrating superior performance. The study also showed a marked improvement in the communication skills of participants in the experimental group following implementation of the ABA program. In addition, significant differences in communication skill levels were observed according to age and gender.
The researcher recommended increasing public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as establishing specialized classrooms within schools under the Ministry of Education to provide appropriate educational services and rehabilitation programs for children with ASD.
The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, postgraduate students, researchers, as well as the researcher’s colleagues and family members.
