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Training preschool teachers to promote reciprocal interactions between children with autism and their typical classmates
Abstract
Promising technologies are being developed to increase the levels of reciprocal interactions between typical children and those with autism and other developmental delays. Research in this area, however, has frequently relied on the use of specially trained personnel as behavior change agents. Therefore, the applied significance of this research is in question until effective mediator training strategies are designed and successfully implemented in clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher training package on increasing the rates of implementation of a peer-mediated intervention. Participants were three teachers working in an integrated preschool. Each was assigned a child pair, consisting of a child with autism and a typically developing peer, to work with throughout the study. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the training package, which included the use of inservice training, verbal and written feedback, goal setting, and self-recording. Teachers were taught to use a cooperative play procedure that had been demonstrated to be an effective tool for increasing reciprocal interactions between children grouped in integrated dyads. This procedure emphasized the use of toys preferred by the child with autism in a turn taking sequence. Typical peers were instructed and reinforced for participating in the turn taking sequence as well as for following the preferences of the child with autism. Results revealed that for one of three teachers, didactic training alone was sufficient to increase implementation rates to desired levels. However, feedback, goal setting, and self-recording was necessary for the implementation rates of the two other teachers to reach acceptable levels. Furthermore, introduction of the training package was associated with increased rates of reciprocal interactions between child pairs during generalization probes collected during free play situations. Follow-up measures indicated that both teacher implementation rates and child interaction rates were maintained.
Subject Area
Behavioral psychology|Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
Harris, Todd Allen, "Training preschool teachers to promote reciprocal interactions between children with autism and their typical classmates" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9329620.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9329620