Training paraprofessionals to improve socialization in students with ASD

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face challenges in social interactions with typically developing peers.
• Unstructured social periods, like lunch and recess, present opportunities for social skill development.
• School personnel, particularly paraprofessionals, are uniquely positioned to facilitate these interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if training paraprofessionals to implement social interventions can improve socialization for students with ASD in group settings.
• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of paraprofessional-led interventions during unstructured school time.
• To enhance social development and peer engagement for students with ASD.

Main Methods:

• A multiple baseline across participants design was employed.
• Paraprofessionals received brief training on delivering social interventions.
• Intervention fidelity and social engagement/initiation rates of students with ASD were measured.

Main Results:

• Paraprofessionals achieved high fidelity of implementation after training.
• Students with ASD showed increased engagement with typically developing peers.
• Rates of social initiation between students with ASD and their peers significantly improved.

Conclusions:

• Training paraprofessionals is an effective strategy for implementing social interventions for students with ASD.
• Paraprofessional-led interventions can successfully enhance social development during group settings.
• This approach offers practical implications for supporting social inclusion of students with ASD in schools.