The purposes of our study were: (a) to train a set of observationally determined social behaviors via peer initiation; (b) to determine if effects generalized across dassroom settings and to directly intervene if generalization did not occur; and (c) to analyze components of the peer-initiation intervention. After baseline, nonhandicapped preschool children (confederates) were taught to direct social initiations to the three handicapped preschool-aged students. Teachers prompted the confederates to engage the students in social interaction when necessary and rewarded the confederates with tokens. Confederates' initiations to the students resulted in increased frequencies of positive social interaction. There was no generalization to other classroom settings, and the intervention was subsequently implemented in a second and third dassroom. Next, the confederates' token reinforcement system was withdrawn, with no apparent deleterious effects on the confederates' or students' social interactions. When teachers substantially reduced their prompts to the confederates, students' social interactions decreased. Finally, reinstatement of teacher prompts resulted in increases in the confederates' social initiations and, consequently, the positive social interactions of the students.DESCRIPTORS 3 increase the subjects' levels of positive social interaction.Critics of peer-initiation interventions and other behavioral forms of social skills training assert that positive social interaction is increased without regard to the quality of the behaviors targeted for treatment (Gresham, in press). However, in a recent study designed to identify potential target behaviors for social skills interventions, Strain (1983a) observed the social interactions of handicapped children who had received high sociometric ratings by their nonhandicapped classmates and a second group who received low ratings. High-rated children shared materials, organized play, assisted with tasks, were affectionate, and responded positively to peers' social initiations more often than did lowrated children. Low-rated children were involved in negative social interactions more frequently than high-rated children. One purpose of our investigation was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of using the set of behaviors Strain identified as behavioral targets in a peer-initiation intervention with young, behaviorally handicapped children.
This paper focuses on a description of an approach to individualize group instruction and an evaluation of preacademic/academic program effects for normally developing and autistic-like children, Essential features of the individualized group instruction procedure include: individualized curriculum for each class participant; frequent assessment of intervention impact; opportunities to revise curricular objectives; planning lessons that include objectives for each child; management of behavior in a group; and daily review of goal plans, The results of program evaluation on 13 normally developing and 6 autistic-like children showed that: (a) normally developing children achieved, on the average, a twofold increase in their rate of development during program participation; (b) autistic-like children achieved, on the average, a twofold increase in their rate of development during program participation; and (c) autistic-like children's intervention rate of performance was above that for normally developing children at program entry.
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.
In this article, we suggest the need to embed social skills intervention within the more general context of long-term early intervention efforts that promote all dimensions of developmental performance. Although the field has advanced on many fronts during the last 30 years, we believe that the limits of isolated social skills training over brief periods of time have been reached. To support the call for more comprehensive and intensive intervention efforts, we offer preliminary results from an 18-year study to address the social and related needs of young children with autism. Contrary to the usually gloomy picture of social skills intervention evaluated across time and contexts, the former clients of the LEAP program demonstrate evidence of sustained growth and development over nearly two decades.
The purpose of this study was to increase the social interaction skills of four preschool children with autism. Four teachers in integrated preschool classrooms participated. Experimental sessions occurred during daily 10-minute activities in which all children in the class were free to select from six to eight different activities. Prior to beginning the study, all four teachers were introduced to a variety of naturalistic teaching tactics designed to stimulate children's play and interaction with others. A multiple baseline design was employed to examine three different conditions. In baseline, teachers used these tactics with no assistance from research staff. In a second phase, teachers received daily feedback and technical assistance. Assistance was provided on only one occasion and then withdrawn during a maintenance phase. Results indicated that all four children increased their social interactions during the technical assistance phase. Each boy exhibited his skills in a range of different play activities, and two continued to display high levels of interaction during a maintenance phase.
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