Association for Behavior Analysis International

A core-defining feature of autism spectrum disorder is deficits in social communication skills. As such, early interventions often target this area of development. This symposium will present empirical data related to early social communication targets that are critical for social conversation development. The first two single case research studies evaluate teaching procedures for two commonly addressed early social communication targets (i.e., joint attention and intraverbal fill-ins). The final study presents a meta-analysis of declarative and imperative communication acts for young children with autism.

Inclusive preschool settings often provide meaningful social and play opportunities with same aged peers for children with special needs. Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are especially at risk for isolation from peers in inclusive preschool settings and have benefited from a range of social communication interventions. In particular, peer mediated interventions hold interest for social communication interventions for children with ASD because of their ability to teach skills that are socially valid. One pivotal skill for social interactions, joint attention, has been examined primarily in clinical settings. This study extends previous findings from a piloted parent-mediated joint attention intervention and applies joint attention interventions to a peer-mediated setting in an individual concurrent multiple baseline design across child-peer dyads in inclusive preschool classrooms to evaluate the effects of the intervention on increased response to joint attention behaviors to interventionist bids; on increased bids from peers to target children with ASD; and on increased response to joint attention behaviors to peer bids. Elements of discrete trial training (DTT) and naturalistic instruction were used to teach response to joint attention behaviors to young children with ASD using both interventionists and same-aged peers. Results indicate increased response to both interventionist and peer joint attention bids, as well as increased peer bids to target child.