Peer-mediated intervention for pre-schoolers with ASD: Effects on responses and initiations

This study investigates the effects of peer-mediated intervention on the responses and initiations of pre-schoolers (aged 4;2-5;1) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

A speech-language pathologist and three early childhood educators trained typically-developing peers to facilitate responses and initiations from three pre-schoolers with ASD during playtime. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to determine the effects of the intervention. Play sessions between the children with ASD and their typically-developing peers were videotaped. Videotapes were analysed using an interval coding system in order to collect information regarding responses and initiations.

All three target children demonstrated improvements in their responses and initiations to their peers during intervention. Moreover, they maintained these gains 4 weeks later and generalized their response and initiation skills to an untrained peer. Social validity data, obtained using unbiased, independent, lay, observers to rate the children's performance provided external validation of an observable treatment effect (i.e. increased responses and initiations) following intervention.

The results suggest that training typically-developing peers to implement intervention strategies using the collaboration between a speech-language pathologist and early childhood educators may be an effective model of service delivery to enhance peer interaction skills of pre-schoolers with ASD.