Ten nonhandicapped 3-5 year olds were taught to help instruct six autistic-like classmates. When compared to controls, the nonhandicapped helpers engaged in less disruptive behavior and equal amounts of on-task language and peer interaction. Treatment gains for autistic-like Ss' positive peer interactions were equivalent to levels exhibited by…

The article presents a four-step intervention model to both improve the social skills of socially isolated (often handicapped) children as well as improve peer attitudes. Use of the model with 6 autistic-like preschool children and 10 normal peers resulted in autistic Ss achieving positive interacton within the normal range. (DB)

Suggestions are offered for building classroom-based social skills programs for young severely disabled children. Scheduling, ecological, and instructional factors are examined. Among conclusions drawn are that peers can be effective teachers and that toys, materials, and play activities can significantly influence the success of social skills…

Intervention studies in which peer social initiations were used to increase the social and play skills of withdrawn preschool and school aged children are reviewed. A discussion follows of such practical application issues as selection of peer trainers, training of peer trainers, arrangement of the setting for peer intervention, and teacher…

This article reviews two instructional strategies, derived from applied behavior analysis, designed to develop meaningful social relations for children with autism. The literature on the implementation and effectiveness of teaching peers to be intervention agents and using group-oriented contingencies is reviewed. Emphasis is on the social…

Research on the use of peer modeling (filmed and live) and peer social initiations with withdrawn exceptional children is considered. Advantages of the social initiation approach include application with children with a limited behavioral repertoire, no requirement for adult intervention, and the opportunity to use handicapped peers as trainers.…

Describes four characteristics that might be associated with the optimal use of peer-mediated procedures in integrated preschools: comprehensive in the skills and activities that they address, intensive or large scale in applications, practical and acceptable to teachers, and effective for producing intended outcomes. (Author/CR)

A study examined the effects of combining naturalistic teaching and peer-mediated tactics to address the developmental skills of 10 preschoolers with autism. Compared to naturalistic tactics only, the involvement of typical peers resulted in a substantial increase in the duration and rate of skills addressed during each teaching episode.…

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…