Increasing Joint Attention, Play and Language through Peer Supported Play

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of participation in an integrated play group on the joint attention, symbolic play and language behavior of two young boys with autism. Two 6-year-old twin brothers participated in this study, along with three typically developing girls, ages 5, 9 and 11. A multiple baseline design was used with three phases: no intervention, intervention with adult coaching, and intervention without adult coaching. After being trained, the three typically developing children implemented the integrated play group techniques in 30 minute weekly play group sessions for over 16 weeks. Results indicate that participation in the integrated play group produced dramatic increases in shared attention to objects, symbolic play acts, and verbal utterances on the part of the participants with autism. These increases were maintained when adult support was withdrawn. Implications of these findings for inclusion of children with autism are discussed.

Effects of the Use of Visual Strategies in Play Groups for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their Peers

“…Consistent with the research literature in the area of heterogeneous play groups, the participants' play behaviors increased with regard to their context-related language (Lantz et al 2004;Wolfberg and Schuler 1993;Yang et al 2003;Zurcher et al 2001). This study extended the line of research on heterogeneous play groups by including a visually-based language intervention.…”

“…Use of the Integrated Play Group model have resulted in improved and increased social-play skills (Lantz et al 2004;Wolfberg and Schuler 1993;Yang et al 2003), functional play with toys (Wolfberg and Schuler 1993), pretend play (Yang et al 2003;Zurcher et al 2001), joint attention (Zurcher et al 2001), verbal interactions (Zurcher et al 2001), and decreased stereotyped activities and solitary play (Wolfberg and Schuler 1993).…”

Co-learning facilitates memory in mice: A new avenue in social neuroscience

“…Peer intervention programs, e.g. the Integrated Play Group, or Learning Experiences: An Alternate Program, significantly improved not only social-communicative skills, but also ameliorated such intellectual abilities in children with autism as joint attention, language expression, and academic performance (Wolfberg and Schuler, 1993;Betz et al, 2008;Eikeseth et al, 2002;Zercher et al, 2001). Therefore, the BTBR inbred strain offers a unique opportunity to assess the effect of social context on their deficient cognitive capacities.…”

Intervenciones sociocomunicativas en los trastornos del espectro autista de alto funcionamiento

“…Los «grupos de juego» consisten en unos 5 niños, uno o dos con TEA-AF y dos ó 3 con desarrollo normal, que son reunidos para jugar y socializarse durante sesiones de unos 30 a 60 minutos. Los estudios realizados señalan mejoras en la calidad y frecuencia de juego, frecuencia y duración de núcleos comunes de actividades, así como en la complejidad del lenguaje en niños con autismo de niveles educativos superiores a los elementales (ver González-López y Kamps, 1997;Zercher, Hunt, Schuler y Webster, 2001). Este tipo de intervención está basada en la teoría de Vygotsky, que indica que las interacciones sociales juegan un papel crítico en el desarrollo normal (Boucher, 1999).…”

“…En el mismo sentido, la mayoría de los estudios encuentra que este entrenamiento de iguales se traduce en un importante incremento de las iniciaciones sociales de los niños con desarrollo normal, pero menor en los niños con autismo Haring, Breen, Pitts-Conway, Lee, y Gaylord-Ross, 1987;Sainato, Goldstein y Strain, 1992). Zercher et al (2001) estudiaron a dos hermanos gemelos de 6,3 años con autismo, con 3 hermanas de desarrollo normal de 5,5; 9,6; y 11,9 años. Las condiciones de trabajo eran tres: «sin intervención», «intervención con ayuda del adulto» y «sin ayuda».…”