This study used a multiple probe across participants' research design to evaluate the effects of instruction on the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences (LSCs) by three young children with autism spectrum disorder and limited speech. All three children (ages 3-5 years) reached criterion for identifying the LSCs targeted during instruction,…

Significant number of children in the United States have difficulty learning basic reading skills. The majority of children referred to school psychologists are referred for reading concerns. Unfortunately, the gap between good and poor readers widens over time as more advanced reading skills are built upon basic reading skills. Children with…

A study of 15 preschool children with autism found that the majority were able to identify preferred peers and that participation in a social skills program, in addition to an early intervention program, led to increases in skills that could be observed in the generalization setting. (Author/CR)

This article discusses knowledge gaps that exist in the instruction of preschoolers with disabilities, in terms of the curriculum content, procedures used to individualize instruction, instructional procedures designed to ensure acquisition, and strategies used to ensure skill use or generalization. Barriers to generating such knowledge and…

Mothers of seven preschool children with developmental delays were trained to encourage child participation in social interaction by being highly responsive and child-centered. Following intervention, mother-child dyads experienced more episodes of joint engagement and increased total duration of joint engagement than control dyads. Changes in…

This commentary on EC 606 262 (a study on the effectiveness of peer-mediated intervention on the social behavior of eight socially withdrawn preschoolers) emphasizes the importance of assessing multiple measures of integration, the need to implement research in real world settings, and the need for research on enhancing generalization and…

Effects of videotaped self-modeling on acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the contractible copula "is" with preschool children with delayed language were assessed. All three participating students made and maintained clear gains in acquiring the target behavior and applying it in normal conversational usage. (Author/PB)

Five children (27 to 47 months old) with mild to borderline levels of mental retardation were given a milieu language intervention program of 3 or 4 small group training sessions weekly. Results indicated the training had a clear facilitative effect on the acquisition and generalized use of common nouns and verbs by four of the subjects.…

A retrospective review of 51 studies from 22 journals (1976 to 1990) concerning generalization of social skills training with preschool children was conducted. Strategies employed by the most successful studies were identified, such as addressing functional target behaviors; using prompts, positive reinforcement, and feedback strategies; and…

This document presents the final report of a 4-year project (ending in 1991) which conducted six studies of the impact of various peer-mediated interventions on the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of social interaction skills of preschoolers with severe disabilities. The report covers project objectives, the project's theoretical…

Five parents of children with language delays and emergent behavior problems from low-socioeconomic backgrounds were taught to support their preschool children's communication skills and manage their behavior. Parents learned the strategies, generalized these strategies to interactions at home, and maintained positive changes 6 months after the…