Carolyn Hughes

The Effects of Social Interactive Training on Early Social Communicative Skills of Children with Autism

Growing attention has been directed at the relation between early social communicative skills of children with autism and subsequent development of these childrens social and communicative functioning. We reviewed 16 empirical studies that investigated the effects of social interactive interventions designed to increase early social communicative skills of young children with autism by increasing their role as initiator of social interactions. To identify factors relating to treatment effectiveness, we analyzed studies in relation to participant characteristics, settings, target behaviors, training methods, and results. To determine durability of treatment, we analyzed generalization effects across persons, settings, stimuli, and time. Increases were found for social and affective behaviors, nonverbal and verbal communication, eye contact, joint attention, and imitative play. Limited generalization or maintenance of target behaviors was reported. Findings are discussed in relation to critical variables that may relate to treatment effectiveness in future research and practice efforts.

Increasing Social Interaction Among Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities and Their General Education Peers: Effective Interventions

Research indicates that peer interaction can have a substantial impact on the lives of adolescents with disabilities. However, social interaction among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and their general education peers typically occurs infrequently in secondary schools. This paper provides a critical analysis of twenty-six empirical interventions aimed at promoting social interaction among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and their general education peers in middle and high school settings. Findings are analyzed with regard to intervention components; student characteristics; interaction settings; measures of interaction; observation procedures; experimental designs; intervention components; and measures of generalization, social validity, and treatment integrity. Based upon findings from this literature, we present recommendations to guide future research and the development of effective social interaction interventions for adolescents with intellectual disabilities in middle and high schools.

Increasing the Problem-Solving Skills of Students with Developmental Disabilities Participating in General Education

Although skill in problem solving is critical to success in school and the community, as well as to promoting student self-determination, problem solving remains a neglected curriculum area for students with developmental disabilities. Using the self-determined learning model, 4 students with mental retardation or developmental disabilities were taught problem-solving skills to achieve self-set goals. A multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used, and the instruction was provided in general education content classes. Target behaviors included increasing appropriate touching, increasing contributions to class discussion, and increasing direction following. Data revealed immediate and dramatic changes for all participants, with performance levels maintained at 100%. Anecdotal social validation data supported the findings. The implications of these findings in respect to promoting self-determination and inclusive practice are discussed.

Integrating Supports in Assessment and Planning.

A systematic approach for addressing the support needs of persons with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities is presented and a new scale to measure individual differences in support needs described. The process employed in developing the scale is explained, including the establishment of a typology of support areas that was drawn from a review of the professional literature, a validation process using Q-sort methodology, and a pilot field test. Critical issues and practical challenges associated with efforts to measure and address the support needs of individuals are discussed.

The Effects of Peer Delivered Self-Monitoring Strategies on the Participation of Students With Severe Disabilities in General Education Classrooms

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring instruction delivered by peer tutors on the occurrence of academic survival skills displayed by five middle school students with severe disabilities. We employed a multiple baseline across subjects design. Instruction was provided in general education content classes. The students were taught to indicate on a self-recording sheet if they performed each of 11 skills. Data revealed an increase in the percentages of occurrence of survival skills across all students. Also, their general education teachers indicated that they observed a positive change for four of the five students. All students indicated that they believed that they were part of the class and reported an increase in their classroom participation. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Factors Influencing Social Interaction Among High School Students With Intellectual Disabilities and Their General Education Peers

Recent legislative, policy, and research initiatives affirm the importance of improving social outcomes for adolescents with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Using observational methodology, we examined the influence of level of integration and Peer Buddy proximity on social interaction between students with intellectual disabilities and their general education peers in high school settings. Similarities and differences were found between more and less integrated settings with respect to contextual variables and measures of social interaction. Across settings, the proximity of a Peer Buddy was associated with higher frequency interactions and more positive student affect. Implications regarding increasing social interaction among high school students are discussed.

Including High School Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education Classes: Perspectives of General and Special Educators, Paraprofessionals, and Administrators.

Increasing the participation of youth with severe disabilities in general education has remained a consistent and prominent focus of legislative, policy, and research initiatives. We examined the perceptions of high school staff regarding the goals, barriers, benefits, outcomes, and supports associated with including adolescents with severe disabilities in general education classes. We found that general and special educators, paraprofessionals, and administrators both converged and diverged in their evaluations of different aspects of general education participation. Despite broad agreement regarding the benefits of and instructional priorities in general education classrooms, stakeholders differed significantly in their perceptions of barriers associated with including students with disabilities in general education classes at their high schools.

Increasing Early Social-Communicative Skills of Preverbal Preschool Children with Autism through Social Interactive Training.

We evaluated the effects of a social interactive training program on early social-communicative skills (i.e., eye contact, joint attention, motor imitation) of three preverbal preschool children with autism. Training was conducted in the childrens classroom during naturally occurring daily activities. Findings indicated that implementation of social interactive training components (i.e., contingent imitation, use of naturally occurring reinforcement, expectant look, environmental arrangement) was associated with increases in target behaviors across participants. In addition, generalization of eye contact and motor imitation behavior were found across an additional setting and different interactive partners, although joint attention rarely generalized. Social validation measures provided by 30 raters indicated that perceived positive changes in performance had occurred in child behaviors and that training procedures were considered acceptable. Results are discussed in terms of implications for research and practice.

Increasing Access to General Education Perspectives of Participants in a High School Peer Support Program

We obtained perspectives on increasing access to general education from high school students who provided ongoing support to their peers with moderate or severe disabilities. Focus groups were conducted with 32 high school students without disabilities representative of students who participated in a structured service-learning peer support program. Analysis of their comments resulted in four categories of student responses: (a) perceived challenges to general education participation; (b) action taken by peer supports to increase access to general education by students with disabilities; (c) recommendations for improving a peer support program; and (d) perceived benefits to participating students and teachers. Findings are discussed and recommendations are provided for (a) refining a model of peer support to promote peer interaction and access to general education and (b) informing practice.

Social Interactions of High School Students with Mental Retardation and Their General Education Peers.

The informal social interaction behavior that is typical of a high school lunchroom in which general and special education students are physically included was described. Using systematic observation and social comparison methods, we compared the performance of two groups of students (12 general education students and 12 students with mental retardation). Both similarities and differences were found in the interactions of students with mental retardation and their general education peers with respect to social behaviors, conversational topics, and context within which interactions occurred. However, despite being in proximity, students with mental retardation rarely interacted with any of approximately 500 general education students present in the lunchroom. Implications are discussed for increasing social interaction among high school students.