No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Peer-Mediated Interventions to Increase the Social Interaction of Children With Autism
Abstract
A variety of peer-related strategies to improve the social functioning of children With autism have been developed and empirically tested. Peer-mediated strategies typically involve the use of socially competent peers to model and reinforce appropriate social behavior. Promoting peer effort is an important component of such interventions and can be accomplished by altering peer expectations regarding their classmates With autism. Techniques include arranging situations or contingencies to promote optimal peer effort, teaching peers methods for reinforcing target skills in children With autism, teaching peers strategies for initiating interactions With children With autism, and teaching social skills to the children With autism. Peer-related approaches can be understood in the context of social learning theory. Several studies have shoWn that these strategies lead to substantial improvements in the social interactions of children With autism. Future research should continue to explore various peer-mediated socialization interventions, With an increased focus on the role of peer expectations.
... Despite progress to improve social skills for individuals with ASD, (DeRosier et al., 2011;Ichikawa et al., 2013;D. Kamps et al., 2015;Solomon et al., 2004;Soorya et al., 2015), relatively few wellconducted randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown generalized or maintained effect, especially on skills not directly taught (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Hirvikoski et al., 2015;Laugeson et al., 2012;Lopata et al., 2019;Rao et al., 2008;White et al., 2013). One reason may be the focus on specific social skills rather than on targeting underlying mechanisms and the omission of treatment components that may help maintain and generalize skills to other people and contexts . ...
... M. Kamps et al., 1992) and peer acceptance (Kasari et al., 2012). Rather than focusing on didactic instruction, inclusion of peer models fosters learning and application of social skills in real-time, and peer-mediation has shown to be highly effective in improving variety of skills in children with autism (Banda et al., 2010;DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;D. M. Kamps et al., 1992;Kasari et al., 2012;Lang et al., 2011;Laugeson et al., 2012;Odom & Strain, 1984;Prendeville et al., 2006;White et al., 2013). ...
... Although the specific components of SENSE Theatre that lead to the observed treatment effect are unknown, it is speculated that peers, play, and performance contribute in key ways. Peer-mediated approaches have been shown to enhance social skills and help generalize skills to other social contexts via programmed practice (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Rao et al., 2008). It is plausible that the inclusion of trained and supportive peers facilitates interaction thus building rapport and reciprocity. ...
Objective:
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have significant impairment in social competence and reduced social salience. SENSE Theatre, a peer-mediated, theater-based intervention has demonstrated posttreatment gains in face memory and social communication. The multisite randomized clinical trial compared the Experimental (EXP; SENSE Theatre) to an Active Control Condition (ACC; Tackling Teenage Training, TTT) at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. It was hypothesized that the EXP group would demonstrate greater incidental face memory (IFM) and better social behavior (interaction with novel peers) and social functioning (social engagement in daily life) than the ACC group, and posttest IFM would mediate the treatment effect on follow-up social behavior and functioning.
Method:
Two hundred ninety participants were randomized to EXP (N = 144) or ACC (N = 146). Per protocol sample (≥ 7/10 sessions) resulted in 207 autistic children 10-16 years. Event-related potentials measured IFM. Naive examiners measured social behavior (Vocal Expressiveness, Quality of Rapport, Social Anxiety) and functioning (Social Communication). Structural equation modeling was used to assess treatment effects.
Results:
SENSE Theatre participants showed significantly better IFM (b = .874, p = .039) at posttest, and significant indirect effects on follow-up Vocal Expressiveness a × b = .064, with 90% CI [.014, .118] and Quality of Rapport a × b = .032, with 90% CI [.002, .087] through posttest IFM.
Conclusions:
SENSE Theatre increases social salience as reflected by IFM, which in turn affected Vocal Expressiveness and Quality of Rapport. Results indicate that a neural mechanism supporting social cognition and driven by social salience is engaged by the treatment and has a generalized, indirect effect on clinically meaningful functional outcomes related to core symptoms of autism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
... However, PT can be applied to the strategies used in schools for student learning and students with ASD. In addition, DiSalvo and Oswald (2002) stated that peer support for students with ASD helps to improve the ability of ASD students and leads to a progression in their educational performance. As will become apparent from this research it is very important to include students with ASD in general classrooms supported by their peers, so as to achieve a successful inclusion model. ...
... Studies have pointed out potential improvement of learners' with ASD skills once a PT strategy is employed in inclusive education (i.e. Kamps et al., 1994;DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Carter and Kennedy, 2006). PT helps to improve social, communication, behavioural and academic skills. ...
... Peer tutoring is widely used in teaching and improves the achievement of students, including students with ASD (Allsopp, 1997, DiSalvo andOswald, 2002). It is a successful strategy for including students with autism in general education Kennedy, 2006, Cushing et 203 al., 2003). ...
The purpose of this research is to facilitate the development and understanding of inclusive education for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia. The study is located within Riyadh, a city in Saudi Arabia. The culture and religion of Saudi society are central themes in this study. ASD is a complex disorder due to its characteristics, which include a lack of social skills, communication difficulties, and behaviour problems. A range of qualitative methods were adopted; interviews with twenty general education teachers (GT) and special education teachers (SET) as well as participant observation in five schools. The research seeks to identify the attitudes and practices of primary school teachers in terms of their support for children in mainstream schools. The study shows that teachers are mostly supportive and have positive attitudes toward the inclusive education of learners with ASD. The study shows barriers to inclusive education, for example, lack of time, overcrowded classrooms, curriculum, attitudes, lack of training, teaching methods and school environments and the extent to which mainstream school buildings and classrooms are suitable for inclusion of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in general and, more specifically, for students with ASD. Another factor that emerged from the study to support inclusive education was peer tutoring. All the teachers involved in the study are qualified in education but they need additional training and knowledge about inclusion and ASD. Finally, the study provides some practical recommendations as well as some ideas for future research and other activities.-III-ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
... These difficulties may noticeably emerge when individuals with ASD go to school, where they need social skills to adequately interact with their peers. However, the social skill development of individuals with ASD can improve over time, for example, through peer-based interventions (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Williams White et al., 2007). ...
... At the same time, students' individual social skills increased over the school year. This result is consistent with the assumption that students' social skills improve with age and that the social skills of students with ASD can be increased (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Williams White et al., 2007;Nangle et al., 2020). In addition, students showed more social skills in classrooms with higher social skill levels. ...
... The results showed strong associations between the levels of autistic traits at the beginning and the end of the school year and between the levels of social skills at these two timepoints. Although it is known that the exhibition of autistic traits and social skills can change over time (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Seltzer et al., 2004;Williams White et al., 2007;Woodman et al., 2015), changes in these characteristics due to peer behavior may not become apparent within a short period of time. ...
Introduction
Children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and high levels of autistic traits often attend special needs classrooms where they spend a lot of time with other students who demonstrate diverse impairments and competencies. Research in typical development shows that classmates and the classroom composition in terms of specific classmate competencies can have a strong impact on individual social development. In this context, classmates’ social skills are of particular interest, as they are associated with successful social interaction and the ability to establish and maintain social relationships. Based on these associations, the present study investigated whether the levels of autistic traits and social skills in children and adolescents with ID and high levels of autistic traits are influenced by their classmates’ levels of social skills.
Methods
A longitudinal design was used, with the first measurement point at the beginning of the school year and the second at the end of the school year. School staff members provided information on 330 students with ID and high levels of autistic traits (20.6% girls; mean age 10.17 years, SD = 3.74) who were schooled in 142 classrooms across 16 Swiss special needs schools.
Results
Results showed that students’ individual levels of autistic traits and social skills at T2 were not predicted by the classroom level of social skills at T1 when controlling for individual levels of autistic traits, individual levels of social skills, gender, age, and general levels of functioning at T1.
Discussion
Considering the present findings, perspectives for further research and support of children and adolescents with ID and high levels of autistic traits within the classroom context are discussed.
... For example, an integrated play group model involves an adult providing a structured environment and guiding participation between peers and children with ASD (Wolfberg & Schuler, 1993;Wolfberg et al., 2015). Similarly, in a peer buddy approach, a TD peer is partnered with child with ASD and given instructions on how to interact (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). A peer-mediated approach involves peers modeling or prompting targeted skills and can be used to increase social interaction and play behaviors within the context of play between children with ASD and their peers (Chan et al., 2009;L. ...
... L. Koegel et al., 2012a, R.L. Koegel, et al., 2012b. In sum, there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that involving TD peers in interventions can enhance play skills of children with ASD (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). ...
... Regardless of the intervention type employed (video modeling, script training, etc.), providing peers with strategies to support and maintain play interactions with children with ASD, as well as helping peers better understand children with ASD, may lead to improved play outcomes. Children with ASD who have received play skill interventions will only be successful in playing with peers if those peers are receptive to and supportive of the interaction (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;McEvoy & Odom, 1987). ...
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined interventions targeting play skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involving typically developing (TD) peers. The objectives of this work are to (a) identify and describe the characteristics and components of interventions aimed at improving play skills in children with ASD and their TD peers, (b) examine the role of peers in interventions, (c) evaluate intervention effects, and (d) identify potential moderating variables that may influence intervention outcomes. Twenty single-case experimental design (SCED) studies published between 2000 and 2020 were included and summarized. The majority of interventions produced significant effects, further supporting the inclusion of TD peers in interventions targeting play skills for children with ASD. Recommendations for future research and practice are discussed.
... Therefore, PMIs such as PNI can be enforced along with the IPG in order to support the social interaction and communication needs of such children (Prendeville et al., 2006;Wolfberg et al., 2012). While the IPG and PNI are evidence-based practices for children with ASD, there is a key difference between the two procedures (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Hume et al., 2021). The IPG was designed to support development of appropriate-age social play and social communication in children with ASD through a playgroup in a supportive environment without the leading of an adult (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Yang et al., 2003). ...
... While the IPG and PNI are evidence-based practices for children with ASD, there is a key difference between the two procedures (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Hume et al., 2021). The IPG was designed to support development of appropriate-age social play and social communication in children with ASD through a playgroup in a supportive environment without the leading of an adult (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Yang et al., 2003). The PNI as a component of PMIs was designed to build a social network of typically developing students along with their peers with ASD with adult direction to naturally facilitate social interactions Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. ...
... Rights reserved. and social behaviours among them (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Kamps et al., 2015). Accordingly, integrating IPG with PNI might have a positive impact on improving social behaviors for children with ASD. ...
This study evaluated whether a play-based, teacher-facilitated peer network intervention could improve basic social communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was conducted in a regular classroom, using the principles of peer mediation and an integrated playgroup model. A single-subject multiple baseline design across three participants with ASD and Tau-U were used to determine the size of the effect. The results indicated that basic social communication skills of all three target participants significantly improved from the baseline condition in all three aspects measured: the duration of social interaction, social initiations, and responses to their peers. In the maintenance condition, three target participants retained increased social communication skills yet at lower levels than during the intervention condition. Overall, the results suggested that the intervention package was effective at improving the social abilities of children with ASD and applicable in classrooms. Practices, implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
... The pattern of improvement within the dyad contributed to more complex and socially rewarding play performance for both children. This pattern may be evidence of what DiSalvo and Oswald (2002) called 'promoting optimal peer effort' through therapist modelling of the dynamic role of being a playmate and supporting both the peer and the child with ASD. Providing the child with ASD with a supportive and consistent relationship with a peer could provide a positive association with play and increase their level of self-competence and social participation (Płatos and Wojaczek 2018). ...
... Due to the increased role for peers in reciprocal relationship development in PMIs, the motivation and interest in the activities for the peers is an important consideration in intervention design (DiSalvo and Oswald 2002). A positive trend in improved play performance and mutually enjoyable play interactions between dyads may act as a protective barrier to maintain the same peer for the program duration and avoid peer burnout. ...
... Promoting optimal peer effort calls for clinicians and researchers to consider the peer in their intervention design and delivery (DiSalvo and Oswald 2002). Specifically, how to support their playfulness, engagement and motivation to persevere with their partner with ASD. ...
Date Presented 03/26/20
Peer-mediated interventions are effective for children with ASD. We investigated the difference in play performance of 68 children with ASD playing with a sibling versus a nonsibling peer. Test of Playfulness scores were significantly higher with a nonsibling play partner. Two social items explained much of the difference: "support of playmate" and "response to play cues," indicating these need to be a focus of intervention for sibling dyads.
Primary Author and Speaker: Cally Kent
Contributing Authors: Reinie Cordier, Annette Joosten, Sarah Wilkes-Gillan, Anita Bundy
... This evidence demonstrates that programs that utilize direct instruction, explicit teaching, and errorless learning have shown much success in increasing social communication skills [9••, 13-15]. Furthermore, previous research supports utilizing peer models for instruction and generalization in inclusive settings as much as possible [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. There is also a large base for teaching in the natural environment and using natural reinforcers while applying principles of behavior analysis [2,23,[25][26][27]. ...
... Twenty articles were retained from the search and, of those, four more were retained from an ancestral search. One of the articles involved two separate studies published together, so these were treated as two studies [19,33] in the review, but the total number of articles retained remained twenty-four, with twenty-five studies. ...
Purpose of Review
Research indicates that educating individuals with autism is most effective in general education settings with peers. This review investigated the current literature on best practices for teaching social communications in general education settings.
Recent Finding
There were a wide range of interventions implemented in various settings with different implementors, with many utilizing peers for teaching. Due to the program variability identified, results were also highly varied, as so many factors can affect natural environment research.
Summary
One major finding was that time spent in interventions allows individuals to receive more direct instruction; more opportunities to practice a new skill; more support, prompting, and guidance in shaping the new skill until it is correct; and more reinforcement and opportunities to earn reinforcement; all necessary skills for learning for individuals with autism. Future research should focus on controlling for variables and more explicitly reporting procedures and agreements for better understanding and analysis.
... Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is a treatment approach in which peers are trained or directed by an adult to instruct and/or facilitate social interactions (Chan et al., 2009). Students support their peers with disabilities typically by modeling and reinforcing appropriate behavior (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002). Consequently, of these three groups of approaches, only PMI can be considered an emotional peer supporting practice-more particularly befriending-as detailed in the description presented above, if specific conditions are met. ...
... Reviews of studies on PMI have demonstrated positive results for students with ASC in terms of treatment (Chan et al., 2009), substantial improvement in social interactions (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002) and advancement of social skills (Miller et al., 2014). However, DiSalvo and Oswald noted that the nature of social interaction improvements varied across participants and studies. ...
Emotional peer support systems have benefits for student-student relationships and allow for children and adolescents' participation in schools. For students with specific educational needs and disabilities (SEND), positive relationships seem to be more difficult to attain and these students are more vulnerable to suffer negative peer experiences such as bullying and social exclusion. Systems in which peers can show helpful behavior are beneficial for schools in order to create a positive, supportive climate. Emotional peer support entails social interaction through emotional or practical help based on what these peers have in common and many times with benefits for both. This systematic review identified interventions of emotional peer support in schools for students with SEND. Twenty-three studies were identified that involved four types of befriending: circle of friends, peer buddying, peer networks, and social lunch clubs. Studies reported mainly positive outcomes for both focus students and peer supporters in terms of increased social interaction and social acceptance, as well as enhanced self-esteem and empathy on the individual level. Further bonding of the students by friendship was also perceived, but more precise data is required to draw further conclusions. Support by the school as an institution, the specific role of the teacher, and family participation are important factors related to the impact of peer support systems. Information on these aspects was scarce, and it is recommended to include variables of this nature in future research. Intervention descriptions revealed students' active participation through suggestions for activities, however their involvement in organizing the systems was limited. More research is needed to learn about the opportunities of emotional peer support to improve student-student relationships including the active involvement of the peers themselves in this support.
... During unsolicited play, there was no difference in Self Play between the EXP and WLC groups; Group Play was longer in the EXP group, but only marginally so. This underscores the significance of peer involvement in increasing engagement in play among children with ASD (Corbett et al., 2014c) and reinforces the importance of peer-mediated interventions not only for social engagement in general (Strain et al., 1979;DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002) but for play specifically (Jordan, 2003). As is highlighted by the differences between solicited and unsolicited play, peer mediation is a crucial component of SENSE Theatre R . ...
... As is highlighted by the differences between solicited and unsolicited play, peer mediation is a crucial component of SENSE Theatre R . In peer-mediated interventions, peers often act as role models (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Prendeville et al., 2006). Thus, in SENSE Theatre R , peers (as co-actors in the play) are role models for SENSE core objectives relevant to play, including non-verbal communication and imaginative play. ...
... During unsolicited play, there was no difference in Self Play between the EXP and WLC groups; Group Play was longer in the EXP group, but only marginally so. This underscores the significance of peer involvement in increasing engagement in play among children with ASD (Corbett et al., 2014c) and reinforces the importance of peer-mediated interventions not only for social engagement in general (Strain et al., 1979;DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002) but for play specifically (Jordan, 2003). As is highlighted by the differences between solicited and unsolicited play, peer mediation is a crucial component of SENSE Theatre R . ...
... As is highlighted by the differences between solicited and unsolicited play, peer mediation is a crucial component of SENSE Theatre R . In peer-mediated interventions, peers often act as role models (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Prendeville et al., 2006). Thus, in SENSE Theatre R , peers (as co-actors in the play) are role models for SENSE core objectives relevant to play, including non-verbal communication and imaginative play. ...
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have significant difficulty in social functioning to include engaging in natural play with peers. Many children with ASD exhibit significantly less interactive play and more physiological stress during benign social encounters with same-age peers on a playground. Theatrical role-playing and performance with expert role models may provide a unique opportunity for children with ASD to learn to engage with other children in a safe, supportive environment. SENSE Theatre® is a peer-mediated, theater-based program aimed at improving social competence in youth with ASD. Previous studies have shown significant improvements in social and communication skills following SENSE Theatre® intervention. The current project examined play with novel peers and self-reported anxiety before and after participation in SENSE Theatre®. Participants included 77 children between 8 and 16 years with high-functioning (IQ ≥ 70) ASD. The combined sample of three cohorts was randomized to the experimental (EXP, N = 44) or waitlist control (WLC, N = 33) group. Participants in the EXP group received 40 h (10, 4-h sessions) of SENSE Theatre®. The Peer Interaction Paradigm (PIP), an ecologically valid measure of natural play, was administered before and after the intervention. Group Play and Self Play on the playground equipment during solicited (T4) and unsolicited (T1) play were used in the current study. The State Trait Anxiety Scale for Children (STAIC; Spielberger et al., 1983) was used to measure self-reported current and persistent anxiety, respectively. Following treatment, children in the EXP group engaged in significantly more Group Play with novel peers [F(2,73) = 7.78, p = 0.007] and much less Self Play [F(2,73) = 6.70, p = 0.01] during solicited play compared to the WLC group. Regression analysis revealed that pretreatment play and group status were significant predictors of solicited Group Play. Children in the EXP group reported significantly less Trait anxiety following intervention [F(2,71) = 6.87, p = 0.01]; however, State anxiety was comparable. Results corroborate previous findings of significant changes in social and play behavior in children with ASD following the peer-mediated, theater-based intervention. Acting and theatrical performance with supportive role models facilitates social engagement in everyday settings with novel peers and reductions in self-reported anxiety.
... Peer mediated intervention (PMI) is an evidence-based practice in which neurotypical peers are taught to interact as friends to their peers with ASD (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). Training neurotypical peers to promote social interaction via PMI allows for the provision of explicit instruction in social interaction embedded throughout the school day, simultaneously preserving the integrity of academic instruction for students with and without ASD (Plavnick & MacFarland, 2014). ...
Research has shown video modeling to be effective for training adult service providers to administer evidence-based practices to children with autism. This study examined the effects of video modeling training (VMT) on neurotypical adolescents’ performance of peer mediated social interaction (PMSI), a 10-step procedure of simplified behavioral practices, during roleplay with an adult actor. A multiple probe design across participants evaluated the effects of VMT on delivery of PMSI by five neurotypical adolescents. All participants demonstrated immediate increases and generalized delivery of PMSI to four adolescents with autism following VMT. Social interaction for two additional youths with autism also improved when evaluated within a peer mediated setting, as a measure of social validity, before and after VMT.
... Importantly, while results indicated a significant improvement in social skills, the authors noted that peer interventionists did not work well with 'severely autistic children' . In high-income countries, peer-mediated intervention approaches for ASC have shown similar positive effect on acquisition of social skills (DiSalvo and Oswald, 2002;Bass and Mulick, 2007). Including peers in school-based intervention approaches may be particularly beneficial in combination with teacher-mediated interventions because peers can provide reinforcing opportunities for social emotional learning and to practice social emotional skills in the classroom, during breaks, during mealtimes, during recess, and in before and after school programs (Chan et al., 2009). ...
Background
Most autistic individuals reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and have limited access to medical providers and specialists. Support for delivery of psychosocial interventions by non-specialists is growing to address this mental health care gap. This scoping review involved a systematic analysis of studies of non-specialist delivered psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents diagnosed with autism and living in low- and middle-income countries.
Methods
The primary objective of this review was to identify psychosocial interventions for autistic children and adolescents in LMIC delivered by non-specialists (parent, teacher, peer, community, multi-level) and to summarize resulting effects on targeted outcomes. The search strategy was completed in four databases with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The systematic search generated 3,601 articles. A total of 18 studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data extraction was completed, and results summarized by; (1) participant sample; (2) intervention procedures; (3) implementation by non-specialists; (4) effect on evaluated outcomes; and (5) assessment of risk of bias. Studies examined a range of child and adolescent outcomes including assessment of communication skills, social skills, motor skills, functional and adaptive behaviors, emotional regulation, attention and engagement, sensory challenges, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. Several studies also evaluated intervention effects on family relationships, parent/caregiver stress and parent/caregiver mental health.
Results
Collectively, the 18 studies included a total of 952 ASC participants ranging in age from 2 to 16 years. Of the included studies, 8 studies were parent/caregiver-mediated, 1 study was peer-mediated, 2 studies were teacher-mediated, and 7 studies included multi-level non-specialist mediated components. Effects on evaluated outcomes are reported.
Conclusion
Non-specialist delivered interventions for autistic children and adolescents are effective for an array of outcomes and are particularly well suited for low- and middle-income countries. Implications for future research are discussed.
... Nietypowe zachowania społeczne i emocjonalne powodują, że osoby z ASD spotykają się z odrzuceniem, są często nierozumiane przez rówieśników (DiSalvo, Oswald, 2002). Brak społecznej akceptacji wywołuje w nich szereg negatywnych emocji, takich jak lęk, złość, frustracje. ...
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are disorders with a neurodevelopmental background. Their characteristic features are stereotypical: constant and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests, as well as difficulties in social communication and interpersonal relations. Research works on adolescents with ASD show that building relationships with other people is a challenge for them because – even though they might have very good general knowledge of social principles – they have insufficiently developed skills to recognize signals in human behavior and to respond adequately to them. Moreover, these difficulties in the emotional and social spheres are initially often overlooked in children who are on the autism spectrum but function on an average or high level. The main aim of the work is to present the situation of two adolescent brothers who both present the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome (AS). At the time of the examination, the younger boy (Wojtek) was 14 years old and had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The older brother (Tomek) was 18 years old and had started a series of meetings with a psychologist. Both teenagers were tested with tools that assess the development of social competencies, intelligence and emotional intelligence. The conducted tests and interviews showed that the boy without a confirmed diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome had greater difficulties than his younger brother in understanding the emotions and intentions of other people. The younger brother felt much better in the interpersonal area and functioned more effectively in social situations, despite the fact that he also has intra- and interpersonal problems. Perhaps due to his timely diagnosis, the younger brother obtains more support from his family and probably also received support at key moments in his social and emotional development. The presented case study emphasizes the importance of the proper socio-emotional assessment of people in the diagnostic process. Its limitations are the lack of assessment of the boys’ mood and temperamental differences. These issues should be addressed in subsequent research.
... Among the inclusive teaching strategies, the peer mediated ones have been proved to be particularly effective in enhancing social skills, in the implementation of academic skills and in promoting the active participation [4,5]. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of peer mediated techniques to improve the social functioning of children with ASD [6,2]. Another effective methodology that falls within inclusive teaching strategies is Cooperative Learning, through the creation of groups in which students work together to achieve a common goal [7]. ...
... Children can learn social skills such as empathy (Leaf et al., 2010), appropriate group play manners, making conversations among a group (Barry et al., 2003), and practicing their acquired knowledge in a more naturalistic environment, which could lead to giving them a chance of generalization of those skills (Watkins et al., 2015). However, these methods still require skilled human intervention, which in turn requires therapists and trained peers to model the target behaviors reliably during therapy sessions (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). In addition, managing sessions and maintaining children's attention are more difficult than 1-to-1 therapies and may need additional support (Colozzi et al., 2008). ...
21st century brought along a considerable decrease in social interactions, due to the newly emerged lifestyle around the world, which became more noticeable recently of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, children with autism spectrum disorder have further complications regarding their social interactions with other humans. In this paper, a fully Robotic Social Environment (RSE), designed to simulate the needed social environment for children, especially those with autism is described. An RSE can be used to simulate many social situations, such as affective interpersonal interactions, in which observational learning can take place. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed RSE, it has been tested on a group of children with autism, who had difficulties in emotion recognition, which in turn, can influence social interaction. An A-B-A single case study was designed to show how RSE can help children with autism recognize four basic facial expressions, i.e., happiness, sadness, anger, and fear, through observing the social interactions of two robots speaking about these facial expressions. The results showed that the emotion recognition skills of the participating children were improved. Furthermore, the results showed that the children could maintain and generalize their emotion recognition skills after the intervention period. In conclusion, the study shows that the proposed RSE, along with other rehabilitation methods, can be effective in improving the emotion recognition skills of children with autism and preparing them to enter human social environments.
... These features include increased opportunities for students with ASD to interact with a variety of communication partners, potentially increased likelihood of generalization of social skills across peers and settings, fewer constraints on teachers to be the sole provider of intervention access, and ease of incorporating PMI into the natural context of typical classroom activities (Carr & Darcy, 1990;Chan et al., 2009;Hemmeter, 2000;Strain & Kohler, 1998;Trembath et al., 2009). For peers without disabilities involved in intervention, socializing with classmates with ASD may confer such benefits as improved self-concept, increased understanding and acceptance of differences, and more welcoming friendships (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). Stay-Play-Talk (Goldstein et al., 2007) is one such widely used PMI for children with disabilities that was designed to lessen implementation demands on peers by employing simple support behaviors (i.e., staying next to the friend, playing with the friend, and talking to the friend) rather than a complex or overly burdensome package of strategies (Ledford & Pustejovsky, 2021). ...
Objectives
Within the autism intervention literature, there is a need for research focused on training teachers to implement and monitor the use of evidence-based strategies in regular classroom settings. This study assessed the effects of a teacher facilitated peer-mediated intervention (PMI) on the cooperative play, initiations, and responses of three upper elementary students with autism and three typically developing peers attending a Title 1 school.Methods
Using a concurrent multiple probe across dyads design, we implemented a cascading coaching model and behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach one special educator to train peers in strategies to support and maintain play and interaction with their classmates with autism. Fidelity and social validity were assessed.ResultsA functional relation between the intervention and cooperative play was demonstrated. Initiations increased for all peers. Participant initiations and responses increased but were variable, with substantial increases for two participants and modest increases for one participant. Peers implemented the support strategies with a high degree of fidelity, and the teacher accurately monitored peer strategy use and intervention effects. Feedback from the teacher, participants, and peers demonstrated a high level of social validity and satisfaction with the training procedures, intervention, and outcomes.ConclusionA cascading coaching model using BST is a promising approach for training teachers to implement and monitor PMI in the natural classroom environment. Limitations and considerations for practice and future research are discussed.
... Although research findings have suggested that the use of prompts and reinforcements can help students with EBD gain appropriate social and behavioral skills, the PR strategy poses both strengths and weaknesses. Two advantages of this strategy are that it uses natural contexts and that it promotes social interaction among peers (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Kaya et al., 2015). One concern of using PR is that questions of generalization and maintenance remain because of a lack of experimental study. ...
Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) are an effective support for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) for improving targeted behavioral skills. As one of the most important strategies in PMI, peer prompting and reinforcement (PR) provides an effective approach for developing and maintaining positive behavior. This article provides practitioners serving elementary school students with and/or at risk for EBD with a step-by-step process for implementing PMI using PR strategy, including steps for intervention intensification when data suggest that as a path forward.
... Autistic students are often labeled as having difficulties with communicating and socializing. Research has shown that peer interactions are beneficial to autistic students' learning (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Kamps et al., 2002). However, existing research has primarily focused on how socially competent peers model and reinforce social behavior for autistic peers. ...
Teacher knowledge of students’ mathematical thinking has been a growing research area in mathematics education. However, teacher knowledge and student-teacher interaction are often treated as disparate research areas, and research on their interplay is sparse. This is partly due to a lack of theory and methodology that support research inquiry into teacher’s ongoing mathematical development through social interactions with students.
In this dissertation, I expanded the constructivist teaching experiment methodology to a methodology called teaching experiment^2 and implemented it with two high school teachers and three of their students. Adopting and integrating radical constructivism, Piagetian learning theories, and communication theories, I propose a framework of teacher decentering that specifies the cognitive mechanisms by which teachers construct knowledge of students’ mathematics and reorganize their personal mathematical knowledge. The findings contribute to an operationalization of anti-deficit, constructive, and dynamic perspectives on teacher knowledge and knowing. They also inform teacher educators of specific mental processes they can foster as they support teachers’ mathematical learning in relation to student thinking.
... Notably, peers also reported positive feedback on the intervention. The acceptability and impact of such procedures on peers are an important consideration when implementing interventions for children with ASD involving their classmates (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). ...
This study evaluated the effects of using preferred activities with peer support on the social interactions of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing peers. Two preschool-aged children with ASD and six peers in an inclusive classroom participated in this study. A multiple-probe single case experimental design across three peers was employed. Results indicated that the participants’ social initiations and responses, as well as the percentage of time engaged in social play, increased following the preferred activity. Gains were also demonstrated across social interactions and time engaged in the preferred activity plus peer support condition. Increases in social interaction behaviors in typically developing peers were also observed, and positive intervention gains were maintained during 5-week follow-up sessions. Implications for research and practice for improving interaction between children with and without ASD in inclusive preschool settings are discussed.
... This can be different for a child with ASD. Subsequently, a child with ASD can benefit from watching and learning social skills from their peers (Bohlander, Orlich, & Varley, 2012;Kasari, & Patterson, 2012;DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002). Vygotsky maintained the idea that education is only brought about when new knowledge is intrinsically linked to old knowledge (1978). ...
Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can face many challenges, including limited ability in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests as a result of the disorder (APA, 2013). This hinders their ability to build and maintain friendships in the same manner as their typically developing peers and affects their interactions, speech and language abilities, and emotional regulation (Whitman & DeWitt, 2011). Peer Mentors (PMs) are trained to support the development of these skills as part of the Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) evidence-based practice (EBP). However, and explicit training program is not always evident nor is the opportunity for purposeful practice prior to working with the children with ASD. Further, a gap in literature exists regarding training adolescent PMs. The purpose of this study was to determine if when PMs receive explicit instruction in the reinforcement and modeling with prompting (RaMP) training program they become more adequately prepared to encourage social reciprocity skills from adolescents with ASD. The additional mixed reality simulation (MRS) platform provided the practice component. A multiple baseline single subject design was implemented to determine that the proposed RaMP training program was in fact effective across three PM participants. The study supports the need for an explicit training program for PMs. Each PM not only increased in their fidelity of the RaMP skills, but they also maintained and were able to generalize the skills taught even after the support was withdrawn.
... The study's results replicate and expand upon prior findings pertaining to the social behavior of individuals with ASD (Koegel et al., 2012;Koegel et al., 2013;Sreckovic et al., 2017). Specifically, the results reveal the importance of teaching social skills to students with mild forms of ASD in general education middle schools and demonstrate that when peers perceive students with ASD as having similar attributes, the possibility of interacting with them increases (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Ganz & Ayres, 2018;Sreckovic et al., 2017). Finally, the study's results align with and extend the limited literature on social skills instruction in naturalistic settings that accounts for participants' individual needs and includes peer networks (Koegel, 2012(Koegel, , 2013Gardner et al., 2014;Hockman et al., 2014;. ...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a peer network individualized intervention toward improving the social skills of three middle school high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID). The intervention was based on the Circle Time program (Mosley & Tew, 2013), and it was carried out in 10 weeks and in three separate groups of students, with each group consisting of nine participants: one adolescent with ASD and eight non-labeled classmates. We used a multiple-baseline-across-participants experimental design to assess the effectiveness of the intervention and generalization to novel responses and settings. The results of the present study revealed that the social skills of all three participants increased and generalized to an unstructured setting, namely in the playground, during recess time, and in unfamiliar areas that students visited during school excursions. Our findings replicate prior work on individualized interventions that help children with ASD improve and generalize newly acquired social skills in school settings. Enhancing social skills of the aforemen-tioned adolescents may limit the possibility of behavioral and emotional problems which can lead to further learning difficulties and may help them fulfill their potential.
... Akran öncülüğü, TG akranların, OSB olan çocuklarla uygun bir biçimde sosyal etkileşim başlatmalarının öğretildiği bir müdahale türüdür. Akran öncülüğünde TG akranlara OSB olan çocukla göz teması kurma, oyuna davet etme, yardım talep etme ya da önerme, paylaşma, karşılıklı sohbeti genişletme, pekiştirme ve ona ilgi gösterme gibi özel davranışlar öğretilmekte; TG akranların öğrendikleri bu davranışları, OSB olan çocuklarla etkileşimleri sırasında kullanmaları desteklenmektedir (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Utley, Mortweet, & Greenwood, 1997). ...
Bu çalışma, erken çocukluk dönemindeki kaynaştırma uygulamalarında
tipik gelişen çocuklarla özel gereksinimli çocuklar arasındaki sosyal
etkileşimi geliştirmeye yönelik müdahaleler arasında ön plana çıkan Akran Aracılı
Müdahalelerle ilgili genel bir bilgi sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, öncelikle Akran Aracılı
Müdahalelerin amaçları, temel özelikleri, gelişimsel yetersizliği olan çocuklara,
tipik gelişen çocuklara, erken çocukluk eğitim ortamlarına katkıları ve sınırlılıklarından
söz edilmiştir. Ayrıca bu müdahalelerin sınıflandırılması ve erken çocukluk
dönemindeki çocuklarda uygulanma süreci açıklanmıştır. Ardından son yıllarda alanyazında kullanımı ön plana çıkan Doğal Gelişimsel
Davranışsal Müdahaleler (DGDM) kapsamındaki Akran Aracılı Müdahalelerle ilgili araştırmalara
yer verilmiştir. Son olarak konuyla ilgili ileri araştırmalara ve erken
çocukluktaki kaynaştırma uygulamalarına yönelik öneriler sunulmuştur.
... Over the past few decades, a relatively large literature base comprised of studies examining the effectiveness of SST for children with ASD has been developed. The following selected reviews encompass a variety of SST strategies, as opposed to systematic reviews that focus solely on one type of SST strategy, for example, a review centered only around social stories or peer-mediated interventions (DiSalvo and Oswald 2002;Reynhout and Carter 2006). White et al. (2007) conducted a systematic review examining the effectiveness of group-based SST for school-aged children and adolescents with ASD. ...
Objectives
Social skills teaching (SST) is a commonly implemented intervention strategy with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given the myriad of strategies that may be utilized within SST, a systematic review was conducted to identify the state of research with respect to SST.Methods
Social skills teaching intervention studies published between 1998 and 2018 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included use of a single case research design, participants between 3 and 17 years of age, inclusion of a dependent variable that targeted a discrete social skill, and data collection and are presented on the targeted discrete social skill.ResultsA total of 201 articles were identified for inclusion and coded according to intervention type, participant age, outcomes assessed, and adherence to single case design standards. A total of 12 intervention categories were identified. Video modeling represented the most frequently researched intervention between 1998 and 2018, with didactic instruction and the provision of rules representing the least frequently studied procedure.Conclusions
Recent literature in SST is generally well-designed and scientifically rigorous. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to consider these strategies as frontline intervention options when designing future research or service delivery programs for youth with ASD.
... Social constrictions are highlighted as one of the most restricted parameters that influences ASD children's participation during PA [9]. This is something that research has shown by analyzing strategies to increase the interactions of ASD children with their peers at school [10][11][12], as well as their physical fitness, motor skills [13,14], and participation in after-school activities [15,16]. ...
Background: active lifestyles and Physical Activity (PA) are closely related to health. Healthy habits such as being physically active should be consolidated during childhood. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) present fewer opportunities to be involved in PA. For this reason, we conducted a Service-Learning (SL) program to enhance the possibility of participating ASD children enjoying PA sessions. The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the evolution in terms of the frequency and intensity of PA performed by ASD children who participated in the SL program. Methods: we used a quasi-experimental design. The sample was formed by 26 children with ASD (Experimental group: n = 16; 4 girls, 12 boys) (Control group: n = 10; 1 girl, 9 boys) with ASD level 1. Results: after the intervention program, moderate PA during the week increased significantly (Pre-Median: 92.04, Range: 35.71–126.47 min; Post-Median: 212.67, Range: 99.75, 271.04 min) (p ≤ 0.001). When comparing both groups, the tendency to do PA in the Experimental group remained more stable. Also, the improvements in moderate intensities were higher in the Experimental group after the intervention. Conclusion: a six-month SL program improved the moderate PA routines of ASD children. However, longer programs and longitudinal studies are required.
... Akran aracılı uygulamalarda OSB olan çocuklar akranları ile sosyal iletişime girer, onlardan yanıtlar ve teklifler alırlar (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002;Schmidt & Stichter, 2012). Bu uygulamalarda OSB olan çocuklar akranları gibi aktiviteler ile meşgul olma fırsatı bulurlar (Jung vd., 2008 . ...
Sosyal etkileşim ve iletişim becerilerinde yetersizlik, aynı zamanda sınırlı-yineleyici davranış örüntüleriyle kendini gösteren ve erken gelişim evresinde ortaya çıkan nörolojik bir bozukluk olarak tanımlanman otizm spektrum bozukluğunun görülme sıklığı her geçen gün artış göstermektedir. Bu durum ailelerin ve özel eğitim alanındaki eğitimcilerin otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireylere yönelik sundukları hizmetlerin etkililiği ve niteliği konusunu gündeme getirmektedir. Otizm spektrum bozukluğunda bilimselliği kanıtlanmış etkin uygulamaların aileler ve eğitimciler ile paylaşılması, otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireyler için nitelikli bir özel eğitim sürecine destek sunacaktır. Bu bağlamda oluşturulan mevcut kitabın ana hedefi; ailelere, öğretmen adaylarına, öğretmenlere, antrenörlere, uzmanlara, psikologlara ve akademisyenlere otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireyler için bilimsel dayanaklı uygulamalardan birisi olarak kabul edilen akran aracılı uygulamaların, beden eğitimi alanındaki kullanımına yönelik yararlı bilgiler ve örnekler sunmaktır. Yedi ana bölümde ele alınabilecek olan “Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Bireyler İçin Akran Aracılı Uyarlanmış Fiziksel Aktivite Örnekleri” kitabı, National Autism Center ve National Professional Development Center on Autism gibi otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireyler için bilimsel dayanaklı uygulamaları derleyen uluslararası kuruluşları referans almıştır. Kitabın birinci ve ikinci bölümünde otizm spektrum bozukluğuna ilişkin tanımlar, tarihçe, tanı ölçütleri ve nedenler
ele alınmıştır. Üçüncü bölümde otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireylerin gelişimsel özelliklerine yer verilmiştir. Dördüncü bölümde otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireyler için bilimsel dayanaklı uygulamalar anlatılmıştır. Beşinci bölümde akran aracılı öğretimin tanımı, aşamaları, normal gelişim gösteren akranların seçimi ve eğitimi süreci açıklanmıştır. Altıncı bölümde uyarlanmış fiziksel aktivite kavramı anlatılmıştır. Kitabın son bölümünde ise akran aracılı uyarlanmış fiziksel aktivitelerin oluşturulma sürecine ve örnek aktivitelere ilişkin bilgilere yer verilmiştir. Otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireylerle ilgilenen ailelere ve eğitimcilere örnek uygulamalar sunmayı amaç edinen bu kitabın okuyucuyla buluşmasına katkı sunan İKSAD Uluslararası Yayınevine ve kitabı okumaya değer gören kıymetli okuyuculara teşekkür eder, kitabın otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan bireylerin eğitim sürecine katkı sunmasını dilerim.
This article outlines current knowledge regarding the education of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a mainstream classroom. The issue is initially discussed in the context of the background of the ‘inclusive’ education movement to highlight the different goals of such a policy. The impacts of mainstream education on the child with ASD are reviewed in terms of likely academic and social progress, as well as psychological and behavioural functioning. There is little evidence that mainstream placements are inherently superior to special school placements in promoting any of these aspects of a child’s development, and there is much evidence that poorly managed mainstream placements can be harmful. A range of factors that impact on the success of mainstream placements are discussed, including the characteristics of the child, school, teachers, and teaching practices. Finally, interventions that have been suggested to improve mainstream placements for children with ASD are outlined, focusing on preparing teachers, teaching strategies, other children within the school, and the child with ASD. Unfortunately, apart from adopting a comprehensive approach to all aspects of the placement, and individualised strategies for children who are included, there is little evidence to recommend any one approach. It is concluded that, while there are strategies for helping the placement of children with ASD in mainstream schools, these schools may not always be the best place to serve the needs of these children and their right to an effective education.
This study compared the physical fitness parameters of intellectually disabled special education vocational school students with those of inclusive high school students using the causal comparison method. Participants consisted of 22 (15 male, 7 female) from Special Education Vocational School and 25 (20 male, 5 female) inclusion students receiving inclusive education at high school. A physical fitness form was used to collect data on BMI, standing long jump, flexibility, right-hand reaction, left-hand reaction, leg strength, back strength, right-hand grip, left-hand grip, 30 m sprint, and push-ups. The T-test was applied to data exhibiting normal distribution, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for data not normally distributed. Among the parameters showing normal distribution, there were significant differences between the two different student groups in the standing long jump, flexibility, left-hand reaction, leg strength, and right-left hand grip strength. Although a significant difference was observed in the right-hand reaction, no significant differences were detected for the other non-normally distributed parameters of BMI, back strength, 30-m sprint, and push-ups. Our results indicated that students with ID enrolled in inclusive education at the high school level performed better in all physical fitness tests conducted compared to their peers in special education vocational schools.
Bisher ist wenig bekannt darüber, welche Peerbeziehungen an Förderschulen für Kinder und Jugendliche mit geistiger Behinderung bestehen und inwiefern sich Lernende dort gegenseitig in ihrer Kompetenz- und Verhaltensentwicklung beeinflussen. Im Forschungsprojekt KomPeers (Kompetent mit Peers) wurde diesen Fragen einerseits mit Hilfe einer Längsschnittstudie zu 1.125 Kindern und Jugendlichen in 16 Förderschulen für Lernende mit geistiger Behinderung in der Schweiz nachgegangen. Andererseits bearbeiteten 102 Teilnehmende mit und ohne geistige Behinderung computerbasierte Peereinflussaufgaben. Es werden die Ergebnisse zu den Charakteristika der Schülerschaft an Förderschulen für Lernende mit geistiger Behinderung, den dort bestehenden Peerbeziehungen sowie zu Peereinflussprozessen berichtet. Implikationen für die Schulpraxis werden diskutiert.
Social skills are an elusive instructional target, complicated by the nature of autism and the complexity of the goals associated with this curricular area. Applied behavior analysis provides a conceptual framework for addressing these needs, and for producing meaningful outcomes. Tailored assessment and goal development ensure that intervention is individualized and associated with outcomes that matter. A crucial factor impacting goal selection and intervention is age; each developmental phase is associated with different pivotal skills. Additionally, current and future settings influence the development of instructional targets, as they present unique expectations and challenges. Social skills intervention has always been an area where both evidence-based and nonevidence-based procedures are commonly used, and where it is difficult to isolate effective components of treatment packages. Several approaches are clearly effective, and have been demonstrated to produce changes that are also maintained, generalized, and associated with high levels of consumer satisfaction. It is especially important to attend to issues of coercion, assent, and ableism in the processes of assessing and intervening in this curricular area.KeywordsSocial skillsAutismABAEffective instructionGoal selectionAssessmentAssentEvidence-based interventions
Peer mediated intervention (PMI) is an evidence-based approach to supporting social and communication development for children on the autism spectrum. For PMI to be integrated into everyday practice, it needs to be acceptable to stakeholders. This article engaged with autistic individuals, early childhood educators, parents, and speech and language pathologists on the prospective acceptability of implementing PMI with minimally speaking preschoolers in inclusive preschool settings. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The transcriptions were analyzed qualitatively using reflexive thematic analysis. Stakeholders described PMI as an acceptable intervention approach for this population and provided valuable insights to inform the development and implementation of PMIs. Attention needs to be paid to how to support preschools to adopt a PMI-friendly philosophy.
One of the characteristics of individuals on the autism spectrum is the restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities which have been considered the result of a direct deficit in self-regulation skills. Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is one of the ways to support young children on the autism spectrum for following school routines independently. PMI is an evidence-based practice based on behavioral principles to train typical peers to help with students on the autism spectrum. By using PMI, students on the autism spectrum can have more interaction opportunities with typical peers. Students on the autism spectrum can become less dependent on adult support to complete the expectations independently or with peers’ support. The aim of this study is to use PMI to support students with autism and ADHD aged 7–8 in a regular classroom to complete the behavioral expectations in Taiwan. This study used a multiple probe design across three participants to determine the effects of the intervention. The researchers trained seven typically developing peers on how to prompt and reinforce the target children. This study took both peers and target children’s data. The data shows a positive result for target children to follow the expectations independently and most peer models can prompt and reinforce the target children after being trained. Our study has extended the effectiveness and usage of PMI in teaching behavioral expectations in Taiwan.
For students with autism, recess is often a missed opportunity to develop social competence and relationships. Although interventions have been developed to promote interactions and social skills for students with average or above-average intellectual functioning, there has been less focus on students with autism who have below-average intellectual functioning or who meet the criteria for intellectual disability. In this single-case design study, we tested the efficacy of a combined peer-mediated and social skills instruction intervention on the interactions, play, and social skills of three students with autism who met their state's criteria for alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Social skills instruction featured video models that portrayed same-aged peers demonstrating individualized social skills on the playground. For all three students, there were substantial increases in interactions, play and social skills, and students and their peers provided positive feedback about the intervention.
Early years interventions have shown to be effective in improving the social communication and language skills of autistic children. Therefore, various play-based interventions have been developed to support those developmental areas of autistic children. Although researchers have previously reported the overall effectiveness of different types of play-based interventions on the social communication and language skills of autistic children, no previous systematic reviews have yet evaluated the effectiveness of parent-mediated play-based interventions in preschool autistic children. The overarching aims of the study will be to (i) report the key characteristics and (ii) synthesise the results of studies evaluating parent-mediated play-based interventions targeting the social communication and language skills of preschool autistic children using experimental designs. A comprehensive search for and screening of the relevant studies published between 2000 and 2021 will be undertaken. To be included, studies will have to (i) use either a randomised control trial or quasi-experimental design, (ii) focus on preschool autistic children aged six years old or younger, (iii) deliver a play-based intervention in non-educational settings, and (iv) include at least one parent as the mediator of the intervention. Data extraction of all included studies will be undertaken using a specially devised template and they will also be assessed for risk of bias using an adapted form from the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The overall characteristics of the included studies will be reported and a narrative synthesis of the results of the included studies will be undertaken. A meta-analysis may be performed (if justified) to report the pooled effect size of the parent-mediated play-based interventions on the social communication and language skills of preschool autistic children.
Trial registration: The current study protocol was pre-registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42022302220).
Autism is a condition in which children are born with social impairments in social communication, imagination, and empathy, thus, they have difficulty interacting socially with peers or effectively interpreting each other’s intentions to engage in different social content. As a result of these deficits, most children with autism are unable to play cooperatively or effectively interact socially with their peers, which makes them socially isolated and difficult to integrate into the community. In view of this, this study conducted an asymmetric VR collaborative game for children with autism, where children with autism and Typical Development (TD) children participated in a collaborative game in pairs, and both children were required to play the game through peer cooperation and oral communication. A total of 6 participants aged 7–9 years old, including 3 children with high-functioning autism and 3 TD children, were recruited for this study. During the game, social assessments and behavioral observations were conducted by the researcher and the therapist to understand whether the asymmetrical VR collaborative game has an impact on children with autism in building peer cooperation and oral communication skills, in order to achieve outcomes that enhance social communication and trans-personal thinking skills. This study used an asymmetrical VR collaborative game to present the game situation with different viewpoints, which allowed children with autism and TD children to work together to solve the game tasks and levels in a peer-to-peer and oral communication manner. In this game, children with autism were required to interact socially with TD children through an asymmetrical play style, thus, triggering the application of peer cooperation and oral communication skills in children with autism. In this game, the researcher used the micro-behaviors for video coding (MBV) to observe and assess five domains, (1) mutual attention; (2) meaningful conversation; (3) collaboration; (4) proximity; and (5) turn taking. According to the results of this study, children with autism exhibited behavioral orientations in the asymmetrical VR collaborative game that were more oriented toward strengthening trans-personal and empathic abilities than traditional solo play, especially in peer cooperation and oral communication. On this basis, the expectation of this study was that the application of asymmetrical VR collaborative games had different degrees of specificity and implementation advantages for children with autism in terms of social communication, imagination, and empathy skills. Children with autism could learn to grasp the meaning of others’ spoken communication, and thus, develop the concept of peer cooperation during the game, which in turn facilitated their mastery of social skills in all aspects of the theory of the mind.
Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the need to find optimal opportunities and conditions for overcoming socialization deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The purpose of the study is to identify the level of social-communicative manifestations in the motor activity of 5-6-year-old children with ASDs in terms of interaction with peers. Materials and methods. Children aged 5-6 from combined (n=20) and compensatory groups (n=16) of Belgorod preschool institutions took part in the pilot study. A theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the research problem was used, as well as the following empirical methods – observation of independent motor activity, diagnostic game situation "Living figures", Mann-Whitney U test. Results. The analysis of the results of monitoring children with autism spectrum disorders in the independent motor activity showed that 16 (100%) examined children are characterized by stereotypical behavior, refusal to communicate, attacks of unmotivated aggression, a feeling of fear. It has been proved that the inclusion of children with ASDs in joint motor activities with normally developed children, using the example of a game situation "Living figures", can enrich their social experience, increase the time of interaction with peers, determine its semantic field. According to the Mann-Whitney U test, a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was found in the degree of success in solving interaction problems when comparing the results of mixed (combined) and correctional (children with ASDs) groups on two experimental methods. Conclusion. New facts of a positive impact of the inclusive space on social-communicative manifestations of children aged 5-6 with ASDs in the motor activity were revealed. The results of the study point to the need to create and implement special gaming and imitation techniques, rites, ball games to ensure psycho-emotional comfort in inclusive groups, reduce the manifestations of aggressiveness and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders in compensatory groups. These techniques are proposed in the adaptive gaming program and technology for its implementation "Play as you please".
Early years interventions have shown to be effective in improving the social communication and language skills of autistic children. Therefore, various play-based interventions have been developed to support those developmental areas of autistic children. Although researchers have previously reported the overall effectiveness of different types of play-based interventions on the social communication and language skills of autistic children, no previous systematic reviews have yet evaluated the effectiveness of parent-mediated play-based interventions in preschool autistic children. The overarching aims of the study will be to (i) report the key characteristics and (ii) synthesise the results of studies evaluating parent-mediated play-based interventions targeting the social communication and language skills of preschool autistic children using experimental designs. A comprehensive search for and screening of the relevant studies published between 2000 and 2021 will be undertaken. To be included, studies will have to (i) use either a randomised control trial or quasi-experimental design, (ii) focus on preschool autistic children aged six years old or younger, (iii) deliver a play-based intervention in non-educational settings, and (iv) include at least one parent as the mediator of the intervention. Data extraction of all included studies will be undertaken using a specially devised template and they will also be assessed for risk of bias using an adapted form from the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The overall characteristics of the included studies will be reported and a narrative synthesis of the results of the included studies will be undertaken. A meta-analysis may be performed (if justified) to report the pooled effect size of the parent-mediated play-based interventions on the social communication and language skills of preschool autistic children. The current study protocol was pre-registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42022302220).
Limited interventions exist that support student’s school participation. This paper describes a theoretical model of school participation and the iterative process that led to the development of an intervention that aims to improve the school participation of students on the autism spectrum and their typically developing peers. Literature on autism, school participation and intervention research were integrated to develop a theoretical model. Focus groups, a Delphi study, online surveys, and reference group consultation helped to develop and refine the intervention. A novel school-based intervention was developed. The impetus to develop interventions with a strong theoretical rationale is discussed.
Gelişimsel geriliği olan çocuklara iletişim becerilerinin kazandırılmasında çeşitli yöntemler kullanılmaktadır. Tepki İsteme - Model Olma tekniği özel gereksinimli bireylere iletişim becerilerinin kazandırılmasında kullanılan tekniklerden birisidir. Bu çalışmada; tepki isteme model olma tekniğinin iletişim becerileri üzerindeki etkisini inceleyen tek denekli araştırma makalelerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, tek denekli araştırma yöntemlerine göre desenlenen 18 tek denekli çalışmanın betimsel analizi ve meta analiz yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın betimsel analiz bulgularında, gelişimsel geriliği olan çocuklara iletişim becerilerinin kazandırılmasında tepki isteme model olma tekniğinin çoğunlukla anneler tarafından kullanıldığı, uygulamaların klinik ortam, sınıf ortamı ve ev ortamında gerçekleştirildiği, görülmüştür. Bu çalışmalardaki gelişimsel geriliği olan çocukların çoğunluğunu dil-konuşma bozukluğu olan ve otizm spektrum bozukluğu olan çocukların oluşturduğu, yaşlarının 2-11 yaş arasında değiştiği belirlenmiştir. Tek denekli araştırma modelleri açısından incelendiğinde çalışmalarda; çoklu başlama modeli ve çoklu yoklama modelinin kullanıldığı görülmüştür. Bu çalışmada yapılan meta-analizden elde edilen etki büyüklüklerine göre tepki isteme – model olma tekniğinin gelişimsel geriliği olan çocuklara iletişim becerilerinin kazandırılmasında etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir.
Peer intervention to promote social interaction, play, and conversation—the three building blocks of effective peer relations—is of great need for young preschoolers with ASD, to increase their wellbeing and reduce their social isolation throughout development. However, evidence-based peer-intervention protocols focusing explicitly on preschoolers’ naturalistic peer-to-peer engagement are not very common despite this necessity to facilitate child-child interactions, social forms of peer play, and peers’ social talk. In this chapter, we provide a review of the previous intervention studies that have endeavored to promote peer engagement. We present the available research on each of the three building blocks of adaptive peer engagement separately, although keeping in mind that peer interaction, play, and conversation are all interconnected components within the holistic model of effective peer relations.
Before moving to the full PPSI protocol in the following chapter, here we provide the reader with explanation of the PPSI’s conceptual basis, main principles, and underlying rationales. The PPSI is an innovative psychoeducational ecological intervention program upholding a holistic developmental perspective on the social functioning of preschoolers with ASD. The PPSI is ecologically implemented for children with ASD—in their natural environment (the preschool) while involving their own natural social partners (their preschool peers) and their own teachers/therapists (PPSI-facilitator) as mediators, models, and change agents. The PPSI incorporates young children’s developmental features and the unique learning profiles of preschoolers with ASD, while deploying their visual strengths. It also utilizes psychoeducational principles and methods adapted from cognitive-behavioral therapy, integrating cognitive social-learning strategies together with experiential behavioral strategies. The holistic PPSI model’s configuration of the three main interrelated building blocks of adaptive peer relations for children of young ages—into three separate content areas of peer interaction, social play and social pretend play, and social conversation or peer talk—enables PPSI facilitators to accrue more specialized expertise, measure each skill area’s improvement, and tailor the intervention to individual children’s needs. In the current chapter, these principles and their rationales will be thoroughly described.
This qualitative study focused on peer support arrangements for students with ASD at the secondary level. The purpose of the study was to determine what impact a peer support arrangement has on both students with ASD and peer partners’ academic attainment and perceptions of the intervention, as well as to better understand what supports peer partners utilize in peer support arrangements. Data were acquired through observations, work samples and interviews of students with ASD and peer partners. The results revealed students enjoyed the intervention, additional adult support and training are needed prior to and during the peer support arrangement, and time is needed to help students with ASD and their peers develop an understanding of one another and a relationship. Work sample results revealed overall growth for students with ASD and no regression of grades for peer partners. This study has implications for teachers supporting secondary students with ASD in accessing the general education curriculum.
This chapter explores Realabilities, a video-based children's television program featuring unique characters, each with a distinct disability. Beyond utilizing video technology to directly teach cognitive and social-emotional skills to children with autism, Realabilities demonstrates how video can be used to foster positive behavioral intentions and cognitive attitudes towards children with autism and other disabilities. Realabilities also reveals how a video medium can promote a stop bullying platform, especially since children with disabilities are at least two to three times more victimized by bullying than their typical peers. One hundred and sixty-six students from schools in Manhattan, NY, and Baltimore, MD, showed more favorable behavioral intentions and cognitive attitudes towards hypothetical peers with disabilities following a three episode viewing of Realabilities. Finally, Realabilities not only showcases the realities of disabilities but shares the potential strengths that children with disabilities possess. This is particularly illuminating, since the Affect/Effort Theory suggests that children are more motivated to interact with others when they possess positive expectancies of their social interaction partners.
This chapter describes the use of a family of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) to support teachers and students with mild disabilities, especially those with special learning and behavioral needs. This approach uses technology to support students in educational environments. In this chapter, the authors provide a brief overview of the family of tools and describe the need, rationale, and technical development process of the latest tools in the family, PictureTools™ and PictureTools-Mobile™. These tools are designed to support positive behaviors of young children, incorporate both images and video, and in the case of PT-Mobile, the capacity to run on iPod and iPad. In addition, they report the results from two federally funded projects related to development, usability, and feasibility testing of these tools. Future research directions are discussed.
Objectives:
Few, evidence-based programs have been developed to prepare social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transitioning to the workplace or college setting. This article describes a pilot curriculum developed for Tarrant County College (TCC) to address the transitional needs of high school students with ASD to a vocation or college.
Methods:
TCC enrolled 123 high school students across the ASD who were taught a 2-h, 2-semesters course on how to apply for college as well as employment applications, job interviews, and interpersonal skills. Work preparation and college preparatory skills such as communicating with professors regarding specific student learning accommodations were also included. Publicly available enrollment TCC data were utilized to describe the curricular program outcomes. Program Outcomes: No statistically significant success rate increase was identified among enrolled ASD students obtaining college acceptance by participating in the TCC program. However, 14 students were successful in attaining employment. TCC enrollment data also showed that 1 course addressing high school ASD students' transitional needs to a vocation or college is not enough to ensure student success. Ongoing mentorship and advising should play a major role in the development of several semester long transitional courses to assist ASD students as they seek employment or a college program. Such a curriculum should include parental support and ongoing employer and college advisor communication regarding curriculum expectations for long-term success in the lives of ASD students, as they gain the skills requisite for independent living.
For young children with an autism spectrum disorder, deficits in social skills can impede appropriate peer interactions. The Early Start Denver Model is a promising intervention for young children with an autism spectrum disorder, however, research on including peers in the delivery of the Early Start Denver Model appears to be sparse. This case study evaluated the outcome of a 3-week peer-mediated home-based Early Start Denver Model “playdate” intervention for a young boy with an autism spectrum disorder and a typically developing peer. Outcomes relating to peer engagement and play were assessed. A pre-post two-phase design was used, with follow-up probes 7-weeks post-intervention. Preliminary results suggest moderate positive effects for parallel play and participation. No effect was found for vocalisations or typically developing child initiations. The intervention was rated as acceptable by both families, which indicates good social validity. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.
In this study young children with autism and same-age typical peers were trained by special education teachers in social skills that (a) would be effective in a variety of situations (i.e., greeting, imitating and following instructions, sharing, taking turns, and asking for help and requesting things) and (b) were appropriate for the age and the functioning level of the children involved. Free play immediately following training was monitored to determine if the training and the feedback procedures were effective in producing an increase in positive social interactions for participants. The typical peers were given information about disabilities and received training in basic behavior management procedures in addition to the social skills training. A final component, implemented during play time, consisted of a reinforcement and feedback procedure for all children. Results showed increased frequency and duration of interactions for all target students.
This study investigated the effects of a peer network strategy on the duration of social interaction and social---communicative skills for 3 students with autism. Typical peers, 5 students per site, were selected based on peer status (popularity with classmates) and teacher nomination. Each network of peers received eight 30-minute training sessions during which social skills---including initiating and responding, conversing, sharing, giving instructions, and saying nice things---were modeled by the experimenter with role-play practice by the students and feedback. The target students with autism received training in the use of an augmentative communication system along with two training sessions in social skills with their peer network. Feedback and reinforcement for appropriate behaviors and interaction continued throughout the intervention phases. A multiple baseline design across settings was employed to document the effects. Dependent variables included durations of social interaction time, use of the augmentative communication system by the target students and peers (trained and untrained), language use during 10-minute samples, and disruptive behavior. Results showed increased social interaction time and use of the augmentative communication system for all 3 students, with increased expressive language for 2 students. Increases were also noted in peer nominations of the target student following the intervention.
Initiations of prosocial actions by mainstreamed handicapped and normal preschool children were studied to discover (1) which preschool activity setting was more conducive to prosocial interactions; (2) which specific prosocial bids were more likely to occur in various settings; (3) whether frequency of prosocial behaviors was related to preferential directionality; and (4) what proportion of prosocial behaviors were child-initiated rather than teacher-directed. Six types of prosocial bids were recorded for 10 typical and 5 special children in four activity settings. Findings indicated that setting had a significant effect. Most of the 210 prosocial bids occurred during free play, many during structured play and gym, and the fewest during teacher-directed structured circle time. Sharing, cooperating, and helping were the most frequent prosocial behaviors. Sympathy and praise were rare. No nurturing was observed. In addition, no directionality preferences were found. Typical children initiated twice as many prosocial bids as did atypical peers. Taking into account the expected probabilities for interactions given the significantly different prosocial activity levels for each group and the different numbers of children per group, no preferences, or "prejudices," were found. It is concluded that contact alone with typical children does not build interpersonal skills of atypical children. Teachers and therapists must specifically model and facilitate prosocial skills. (Author/RH)
Social relationships are as important to people with autism as they are to any other member of society. However, a primary behavioral characteristic used to define the syndrome of autism is a paucity of social interaction. Such an observation about disordered behavior is really a proposition about a situation in need of remedy. A proposition is simply a statement about a problem to be solved, and the social interaction literature can be viewed as a concatenation of propositions. One of the first propositions tendered regarding autism was how to increase precursors to social interaction. The solution to that problem was to task analyze precursor behaviors and systematically structure their occurrence. Because of the success of these efforts, other previously untenable aspects of social interaction were targeted for analysis. As more and more social behaviors were proposed for analysis and studied, the notion of social skills emerged as a guiding theme. The concept of social skills itself occasioned an expansion of researchers’ propositions regarding what was relevant to social interaction. The answers to those questions have made the study of social interaction far more complex than was conceived originally. Emerging propositions in researchers’ work include questions about the nature of social competence, the development of friendships and other social relationships, and the ways in which various aggregates of behavior can assist us in understanding those broader goals. These more recent propositions are historical in context, but prescriptive in our pursuit of enriching the social participation of people with autism. If the past is any predictor of the future, social interaction research for people with autism is entering a period of fertile analysis and application.
This article reviews how children may conceptualize and think about peers with visible physical differences, discusses the development of stereotypes about physical disability, and summarizes research conducted by the author and his colleagues on this process of children's perception of physical differences. Research findings from several cultures are presented and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Investigated the perceptions of 21 nonhandicapped high school students in regard to the benefits Ss had experienced as a result of developing relationships with peers who had moderate or severe disabilities. Semi-structured interviews with the Ss identified 6 types of benefits. These are (1) improvements in self-concept, (2) growth in social cognition, (3) increased tolerance of other people, (4) reduced fear of human differences, (5) development of personal principles and (6) interpersonal acceptance and friendship. Ss also identified areas of difficulty in the relationships with peers having disabilities. Implications are discussed for policy analysis and research on social integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A teacher prompt and praise procedure was applied sequentially across dyads composed of 1 of 2 autistic boys (aged 10 and 11 yrs) and 1 of 8 nonhandicapped 6th graders. Direct observation assessed changes in autistic Ss' social behavior during these structured play sessions and again during later free-play generalization sessions. As the training procedure was applied across each of the 1st 3 nonhandicapped peers, both autistic Ss increased their interactions with those peers. One S spontaneously began to interact with the nonhandicaped peers not yet involved in training as well as with the nonhandicapped peers in the later free-play session. No reliable changes were obtained in experimental Ss' interactions with their autistic classmates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examined what happens when preschool children with autism are in the same classroom as nondisabled peers vs when they are not. Ss were 7 children, 4 with autism (aged 2.9–4.4 yrs) and 3 who served as normally developing peer models (aged 3.2, 3.6, and 4.5 yrs, respectively.) Three observers were trained over 6 2-hr sessions using videotaped classroom sequences. Mere physical integration of children with autism and nondisabled children generally failed to produce significant social interactions between the 2 groups. Data also suggest that the teacher and paraprofessionals involved provided less direct instruction during times when peer models were in the classroom. Furthermore, teachers and aides spent more time prompting students with autism when peer models were present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A multiple probe design across activities was used to monitor the effects of peer networks and reinforcement on social interaction time for three students with autism. The social intervention (networks) was individualized and implemented in a sequential modification fashion across 4 activities for the students, with baseline conditions remaining in effect for 2 activities. Baseline consisted of students and peers in proximity for the designated activity, with prompting and reinforcement for task completion or behaviors. Intervention consisted of the selection of a group of 2-5 peers as a support network during the activity, structuring the activity to promote interaction for a 10-20 minute time block, the use of task and social scripts, peer and target training/prompting in social skills, verbal and tangible reinforcement for peer interaction, and student feedback. Results indicated increased interaction time for all target students with generalization to non-intervention settings for two students.
The stigmatizing effects of negative expectancies were examined in observations of interactions between children with and without a behavior problem. Ss were 68 pairs of unacquainted boys in Grades 3-6. In each dyad, a normal boy was either told that his partner had a behavior problem or given no expectancy; this expectancy manipulation was crossed with the partner's actual diagnostic status with respect to hyperactivity. The perceivers' expectancy that their partner had a behavior problem as well as the actual diagnostic status of the target adversely affected the boys' interactions. Behavioral data suggest how the expectancies were communicated to the target. The processes underlying interpersonal expectancy effects and the ways in which a childhood stigma can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy are discussed.
This study investigated effects of a self-evaluation procedure on preschool children's use of social interaction strategies among their classmates with autism. Three triads of children (comprised of 1 trained normally developing peer, 1 untrained peer, and 1 child with autism) participated. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to demonstrate that peers who were taught facilitative strategies increased their use of strategies only after the self-evaluation intervention was introduced. Improvements in social behavior of children with autism was associated with peers' increased strategy use. Untrained peers demonstrated little change in their social behavior. Treatment effects were replicated when trained peers were asked to use self-evaluation with other children with autism during other play times. Self-evaluation procedures enhanced the use of social interaction strategies on the part of normally developing peers during social skills interventions.
This study investigated the effects of a peer-mediated intervention on the social interaction of five triads comprised of preschoolers with autism and their typical peers. Strategies thought to facilitate interaction were selected based on analyses of a descriptive data base. Peers were taught to attend to, comment on, and acknowledge the behavior of their classmates with disabilities. These are behaviors preschoolers typically exhibit frequently, but that do not obligate responses to the same extent as questions and requests do. The ABCB reversal designs revealed that improved rates of social interaction during play were clearly associated with the peer intervention for 4 of the 5 children with autism. This intervention offers an alternative peer-intervention package for increasing interaction between children with and without disabilities.
We compared two procedures for improving the social interactions of three autistic children. In a peer-initiation condition, confederates were taught to initiate interaction with the autistic children. In a teacher-antecedent condition, teachers prompted the autistic children to initiate with confederates, who had been taught to reciprocate. Using an alternating treatment design, differential effects were found. The peer-initiation procedure reliably increased the social responses of the autistic children, whereas the teacher-antecedent condition increased the initiations and responses of the autistic children. In addition, longer chains of social interaction occurred during the teacher-antecedent condition.
A multiple baseline design across subjects with a reversal was used to examine the effects of classwide peer tutoring relative to traditional reading instruction on reading skills and social interaction time for 3 high-functioning students with autism and their typical peers in integrated, general education classrooms. Traditional reading instruction consisted largely of teacher-led instruction with individual student participation and seat work. Classwide peer tutoring consisted of 25 to 30 min of well-specified instruction in which tutor-learner pairs worked together on a classwide basis on reading fluency and comprehension skills. All students participated in 15- to 20-min unstructured free-time activities immediately following reading instruction. Results of reading assessments demonstrated that classwide peer tutoring increased reading fluency and correct responses to reading comprehension questions for students with autism and their peers. The procedure further increased the total duration of free-time social interactions for students with autism and typical peers, with individual variation in performance.
Many students with autism are being served in inclusive settings. Early intervention programs, traditionally home-based, are beginning to create center-based options which incorporate typically developing peers. One of the arguments for the use of inclusive programs is that students with autism will benefit from their exposure to and interactions with typical peers. Unfortunately, research suggests that in inclusive settings, typical peers and peers with autism do not always interact without prompting from an adult. This study used an ABAB design to determine if a peer buddy approach in which all students were trained to interact in dyads would increase non-adult-directed interactions. Data collected on the students with autism indicate that the peer buddy approach significantly increased their appropriate social interactions. Follow-up data on one of the students indicates generalization of appropriate social interactions to a new classroom.
An important component of Division TEACCH's mandate from the Department of Psychiatry of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the North Carolina State Legislature is to conduct research aimed toward improving the understanding of developmental disabilities such as autism and to train the professionals who will be needed to work with this challenging population. An important mechanism to help meet these goals is our annual conference on topics of special importance for the understanding and treatment of autism and related disorders. As with the preceding books in this series entitled Current Issues in Autism, this most recent volume is based on one of these conferences. The books are not, however, simply published proceedings of conference papers. Instead, cer tain conference participants were asked to develop chapters around their pres entations, and other national and intemational experts whose work is beyond the scope of the conference but related to the conference theme were asked to contribute manuscripts as weil. These volumes are intended to provide the most current knowledge and professional practice available to us at this time.
Although the incidence of autism as compared with similar disabilities is relatively low, it has received a disproportionately large amount of attention from clinicians and researchers. This is in part because of the severity of the disability and its potentially devastating effects and human suffering. However, the desire to reduce costs and alleviate human pain do not totally account for the interest that the autism syndrome has generated. There is also a fascination with these youngsters and a desire to know more about their puzzling disorder.
How do we decide what another person is "really like"? How do we influence the impressions others form of us, and how do their reactions affect us in turn? In "Interpersonal Perception" one of the world's leading social psychologists explores these and other intriguing questions about the nature of social interaction. Drawing on nearly 40 years of person perception research, much of it his own, Edward E. Jones provides a unified framework for understanding the thought processes underlying interpersonal relations and illuminates the complex interplay of motive, cognitive inference, and behavior in our encounters with others. Illustrated throughout with examples drawn from daily life and from psychological experiments, and spiced with personal reflections, the book provides a remarkable synthesis of work in the field. Personal, provocative, illuminating, "Interpersonal Perception" should be of great interest to students, professionals, and serious general readers alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)(cover)
One characteristic of autism is inadequate social skills, including behavioral deficits and excesses. Inadequate social skills have been linked by researchers to a number of negative outcomes such as peer rejection, mental health problems and an increased high school drop-out rate. For individuals with autism, inadequate social skills arc one of many factors that can lead to institutionalization. To prevent poor outcomes, appropriate means for increasing the social interaction skills of children with autism are required. This review of the literature investigates reports of empirical research designed to increase the social interaction skills of preschool children with autism. Research to-date has generally involved the training of typically developing children to interact with children with autism; only one study was found that focused training on the child with autism.
Three children with autism were trained to initiate social interactions to their normally developing peers. The study employed a multiple baseline design across three children with multiple probes across three normally developing peers. Clear differences were found between baseline and post-training sessions for all children across all peers. Generalization probes suggest that the children with autism were able to generalize the skills to a preschool playground, to an untrained child with autism, and to their brother or sister at home. These findings are discussed as offering evidence that children with autism can learn to initiate and maintain a social interaction with their peers, and that these skills will generalized to novel settings and people.
Freddy is a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with autism and severe language delay. He attends a special day class for children with moderate to severe disabilities in a public elementary school. Freddy is beginning to show an interest in his peers. In free play situations he generally watches and plays in parallel with other children, particularly when they engage in the few activities that are of interest to him. His play interests mainly revolve around his fascination with commercial products including packaged foods and cosmetics. He often repeats television commercials and gazes at photographs of these products. Freddy also enjoys manipulating these products by tapping them on his chin and lining up and sorting various containers by colour and size. Guided by his teacher, Freddy participates in an Integrated Play Group with one other classmate with special needs and three typically developing peers from third and fourth grade general education classes. These groups meet twice weekly for 30 minutes in Freddy’s classroom.
The purpose of this study was to examine an intervention package designed to support the transfer of a peer-mediated intervention for young children with autism to a setting in which teacher verbal prompts were not provided. Three preschool children with autism and four nondisabled peers, all enrolled in an integrated special education class, participated. Teachers first taught peers social initiation strategies for promoting the social interactions of the children with autism and then provided verbal prompts when necessary to peers in structured play setting. In a second structured play setting, teachers did not provide prompts to peers. Initiations increased in the setting in which teachers provided verbal prompts, but not in a second setting. In the third phase of the study, a correspondence training/visual feedback (CTVF) package was introduced in the second setting and resulted in substantial increases in peer initiations. In the final phase of the study, the peer-initiation intervention was discontinued and the CTVF package continued to support the peers' social initiations. Implications for practice are discussed.
This report presents a data‐based intervention designed t o increase the social interactions between an autistic boy and his nondisabled peers. A “loose training” prompting tactic was used to teach the child to initiate to the peers. After several training sessions the autistic child increased his spontaneous interactions (a) with the training peers in non‐training, generalizationsessions and (b) with non‐training peersin the generalization sessions. The results show promise for the discovery and implementation of generalization tactics that promote the social integration of disabled and nondisabled children.
The purpose of this study was to examine the consequences of the distinctiveness effect for social interaction, using traits about which participants had no previous information. The perceived distinctiveness of novel traits was manipulated, and bogus information about an individual’s distinctive and nondistinctive characteristics provided conflicting expectations about that individual. The prediction that individuals would be judged based on the information provided about their supposed distinctive traits was supported. In addition, observations made by independent raters demonstrated that these distinctiveness-based judgments about the individual initiated a self-fulfilling prophecy process. Unexpectedly, the distinctiveness effect in this experiment was found only among female participants.
Two children with autism and 8 typical peers participated in a study designed to investigate the efficacy of Pivotal Response Training (PRT), implemented by multiple peers to enhance the social competency of children with autism. Two main effects were investigated: (a) the effects of using multiple peer trainers on language use and toy play skills of children with autism and (b) the extent to which potential changes generalized to peers not part of the study. During training, peers were taught PRT strategies using didactic instruction, modeling, role playing, and feedback. After PRT training, peers implemented the treatment strategies with their schoolmates with autism during recess. After treatment, children with autism engaged in high levels of interactions, initiations, varied toy play, and language use. Generalization across settings, stimuli, and peers was found. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of combining naturalistic teaching and peer-mediated tactics to address children's developmental skills. A multiple baseline design was used to compare three experimental conditions. In the first phase, 6 teachers used naturalistic teaching strategies to address the Individualized Education Program (IEP) objectives of 10 preschoolers with autism. In the second phase, teachers continued to employ naturalistic teaching but added the supplemental components of peer modeling, cooperation, and verbal exchanges (i.e., a combined intervention condition). Finally, teachers implemented sessions without any support or assistance during a four-session maintenance phase. A range of primary and corollary outcomes were collected to examine the effects of the two teaching procedures. Results indicated that teachers often conducted instructional episodes in a 1:1 fashion during the naturalistic teaching phase. With training and practice, however, all 6 teachers involved peers in instructional episodes during the combined intervention condition and continued to incorporate peer mediation during the brief maintenance phase. In comparison to naturalistic tactics only, the involvement of typical peers was also associated with a substantial increase in the duration and rate of skills addressed during each teaching episode. Finally, teachers addressed the same types of developmental skills with the two procedures and provided instruction within a similar range of stimulus contexts or classroom areas. These results are discussed with regard to their implications for future research and practice.
This study examined the effects of several procedures on the social and supportive interactions of two preschoolers with handicaps and their socially competent peers. An alternating individual and group-oriented reinforcement contingency produced equal increases in the target children's interactions with peers. However, neither procedure generated consistent levels of supportive peer behaviors. Following a baseline phase where social and supportive interactions decreased to lower levels, two socially competent children were taught to deliver high levels of supportive prompts to their peers during a dramatic play activity (e.g., “Ask [target child] to come and join our picnic”). Results indicated that peers complied with these statements by increasing the frequency of social behaviors directed to the target children. A final interdependent group contingency condition maintained both social and supportive interactions at high levels. These results are discussed with regard to the efficacy of group-oriented contingencies.
This study was designed to evaluate the use of a group-oriented reinforcement contingency to (a) increase the frequency of verbal interaction between severely withdrawn, autistic preschool children and nonhandicapped peers, and (b) reduce the levels of teacher prompts needed to maintain interaction. After baseline, both handicapped and nonhandicapped children were taught initiation and response strategies and the frequency and types of teacher prompts were restricted. Initially, access to the group reinforcer depended upon all three play triads achieving an established criterion for appropriate interactions. The teacher awarded a token for each appropriate interaction, allowing children to monitor their progress. Marginal increases in appropriate interactions occurred under this condition. In a subsequent interdependent contingency system, differentially reinforcing each triad that met the established criterion produced reliable increases in appropriate social initiations and responses for both peers and handicapped children. Rates of teacher prompts remained low. Withdrawal of the group-oriented reinforcement contingency substantially reduced levels of appropriate initiations and responses by both peer confederates and handicapped children. Reinstatement of the group contingency resulted in immediate and significant increases in appropriate initiations and responses by both peers and handicapped children. The results suggest that (a) peers can be effectively taught strategies to increase the appropriate social behaviors of their withdrawn classmates, and (b) a group-oriented reinforcement contingency is an effective complement to teacher-prompted interventions and may be an effective means of systematically fading teacher prompts.
Three children with autism from a self-contained elementary special education class participated in daily W-min free-play sessions with 15 nondisabled 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade peers from the same school in three social interaction groups. After a baseline period, one of the peers was trained to appropriately interact with the student with autism. During the first phase of the intervention, this trained peer and the student with autism joined four other nontrained peers for play activities. Subsequently, each peer in the group received training sequentially so that the treatment phases reflected one trained, two trained, three trained, four trained, and five trained peers interacting with the student with autism in that same group of six. For each of the three groups, generalized interactions with nontrained peers were observed after the introduction of the third trained peer. Qualitative as well as quantitative changes in social interaction were documented.
Four 18–21 yr old male students with autism and severe handicaps were trained to initiate and sustain social interactions with nonhandicapped peers in a commonly shared breakroom at 2 community job sites. The generalization of social behavior to nontrained co-workers was probed in the same setting during natural break times. A multiple-baseline across-Ss design was used to assess the effectiveness of a training package based on concurrent training of chains of responses using systematic prompting and reinforcement of correct behavior. Generalization was promoted using a multiple exemplar strategy. Results show that all Ss acquired a chain of social break behaviors using one peer trainer. Two Ss displayed generalization of social responses prior to the acquisition of the complete chain. Two Ss required training with multiple peers prior to the occurrence of generalization. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews the literature on recent advances in social interaction research for preschool children who exhibit behavioral disorders such as social withdrawal or autism. Teacher-mediated, peer-mediated, and interpersonal problem-solving approaches to promoting social interaction are presented. Factors that affect social interaction training (e.g., type of activities, presence of socially competent peers, S characteristics) are discussed. It is concluded that although researchers have been successful in increasing the social interaction skills of children with behavioral disorders, current research has several limitations: The issue of generalization and maintenance must be addressed; a broader view of children's social interaction is needed; and broader outcome variables need to be defined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reviews relevant research on social interaction and presents a model for interpreting the literature on social skills development in mentally retarded and behaviorally disordered students. Child-centered social skill training, environment-centered program evaluation, attitude research, and investigations of the influence of ecological settings are discussed. The proposed model for research and instruction indicates that the quality and quantity of social responding can be influenced by intervention at every level; it includes a discussion of exchanges within the peer–target student dyad, peer-initiation strategies, teaching students with disabilities to initiate, the environmental context, and social scripts. Environment-centered research is examined with regard to school and vocational integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Describes a method of teaching language to autistic children. A review is included of behavior modification work on language teaching and methods for building language and the data on how children learn language and speech. (41/2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In this investigation peer networks were formed consisting of students with autism and fourth grade peers. They were trained to tutor first grade students in sight word recognition. The purpose of the study was to determine if the target students could be trained effectively as tutors, to determine outcomes for the first graders, and to determine effects on social integration of network students. Effects were measured for implementation of tutoring steps, increases in sight words learned on a weekly basis for the tutees, and social interactions among network students during free time activities. Using a reversal design, with a multiple baseline component, results demonstrated higher gains on weekly pre- and posttests for first graders than control students who received classroom instruction only, successful implementation of peer tutoring steps by the network participants, and increased duration of social interaction time for the target students with autism and network companions. These findings were replicated in the following year. The peer network system for students with autism, thus not only increased their time and social engagement with typical peers but also provided a productive, socially acceptable activity for increasing academic performance for first graders exhibiting delays.
We propose a psychotherapy treatment implementation model whereby adequate levels of independent treatment components (delivery, receipt, and enactment) are prerequisite to asserting whether a valid clinical trial has been conducted. The delivery component refers to the accuracy of treatment presentation, receipt refers to the accuracy of the client's comprehension of treatment, and enactment refers to the extent of out of session application initiated by the client. Clinical scientists regularly address one or two of these components, but rarely all three, according to a survey we report. Sources and effects of model deficits, i.e., inadequate levels of treatment components, as well as methods of component assessment and induction, are discussed. We conclude that faults in any one of the components drain validity proportional to the degree of deficit, and that clinical trials have often incorrectly been considered fair tests, resulting in biased efficacy judgments.
Increasingly, parents, teachers, and students with disabilities are advocating for interventions that go beyond skill training to provide support for participation in integrated environments and support for friendships. The present research demonstrated a social network intervention for youths with moderate and severe disabilities. Two groups of nondisabled peers were recruited to participate in weekly discussions with an adult integration facilitator to increase opportunities for social interaction for 2 students (1 with autism and 1 who was moderately mentally retarded). The groups met to discuss social interactions that had occurred with the students with disabilities and to talk about strategies to promote greater inclusion of the students into ongoing social interaction. The nondisabled students participated in the design and implementation of social skills interventions during transition times and lunch. The nondisabled students used self-monitoring data sheets to record the quantity and quality of interactions. The frequency of interaction, number of opportunities for interaction, and appropriateness of social interactions were analyzed with a multiple baseline design. Results indicated that the social network intervention was successful in increasing the quantity and quality of interactions and that the network strategy promoted the development of friendships. The results are discussed in terms of the need for additional research showing the relationships between increases in social competence, peer-mediated intervention, and the development and support of friendship.
The present case study used a multiple treatment design to assess the effects of two interventions--peer social initiations and target child initiations--on the social and disruptive behavior of a high-functioning autistic child. Intervention included initiation training and videotaped feedback highlighting successful and unsuccessful initiations. During Interventions 1 and 2, nonhandicapped peers were trained to initiate social interaction with the autistic child, resulting in an increase in social interaction which dramatically decreased in a reversal phase. Social interaction quickly increased again in Intervention 3 when the autistic child was trained to initiate interaction using the same procedures. During Interventions 1 and 2 no decrease in the autistic child's disruptive behaviors was observed; however during Intervention 3 these behaviors decreased to a low rate. Social validation, generalization, and maintenance of these behavior changes are discussed.
Two children with autism were taught to engage in a variety of complex social behaviors using peer-implemented pivotal response training (PRT), a set of procedures designed to increase motivation and promote generalization. Typical peers were taught to implement PRT strategies by modeling, role playing, and didactic instruction. After training, peers implemented the procedures in the absence of direct supervision in a classroom environment. After the intervention, both children with autism maintained prolonged interactions with the peer, initiated play and conversations, and increased engagement in language and joint attention behaviors. In addition, teachers reported positive changes in social behavior, with the largest increases in peer-preferred social behavior. Further, these effects showed generality and maintenance. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The effects of a group-oriented contingency on the social and supportive interactions of three preschoolers with autism and their socially competent peers were examined. Children participated in daily manipulative play activities in groups of three (including one target child and two peers). A group reinforcement contingency increased all three target children's social interactions with peers (e.g., share, assistance, and play organizers) but produced few or no corollary supportive exchanges within the playgroups (e.g., one socially competent youngster tells another to "Ask [target child] to share the Lego toys with us"). After a withdrawal of treatment phase in which social interactions decreased to low levels, children were taught to direct supportive comments to other members of their playgroups. Following this brief training, the interdependent group contingency was reinstated to reinforce the share, assistance, and play organizer exchanges between the target children and peers. In addition to interacting with the target children, socially competent youngsters also used supportive prompts to facilitate the social exchanges between their remaining group members. Children's social and supportive interactions decreased and increased again during subsequent baseline and group contingency phases. These results are discussed with regard to the efficacy of group-oriented contingencies and the function of supportive peer behaviors.