Promoting Interactions among Preschoolers with and without Disabilities: Effects of a Buddy Skills- Training Program

Abstract

The promotion of friendship development for children with disabilities is now considered a primary educational goal. Peer-mediated interventions have been used successfully to increase social interaction between children with and without disabilities, although implementation has usually been restricted to play time. We investigated the effects of alternative strategies that included pairing four children with disabilities with several trained peers (“buddies”) during a variety of activities across the school day and teaching interaction skills to both children with and without disabilities. Interactions between children with and without disabilities increased significantly after peer training; supplemental dyadic training resulted in minimal increases in responsiveness on the part of children with disabilities. This intervention appears to be a useful approach for promoting peer interactions, a prerequisite for the development of friendships in integrated preschools.

Teaching Play Skills to Visually Impaired Preschool Children: Its Effect on Social Interaction

“…Later studies, however, were conducted in children's natural class environment and in play activities in particular, leading to more vigorous results (English et al, 1997;Goldstein & Ferrell, 1987;Goldstein & Wickstrom, 1986;Guralnick, 2010). It is seen that there is a similarity between both these studies and the current study's implementation processes and findings in terms of robustness.…”

“…In addition, Yasemin was observed to be quite talented in play guesting, baby care, and imitations, a fact that seemed to affect the study's findings on generalization in a positive way. It was also highlighted in the literature that peers with a sense of responsibility and who were described as social competent individuals acted as facilitators in motivating SN children to generalize the skills that they had learned (English et al, 1997;Goldstein et al, 1992;Strain & Odom, 1986). Even though it was not tested as to whether the target VI children were able to generalize what they had learned to other activities and to other real objects, Lale and Gül were observed using other toys and different learning centers found throughout the classroom.…”

“…Great attention was paid to the fact that the play activities and skills chosen were not only the most necessary for the target children to learn, but also the basic social skills needed for children attending preschool education institutions to be able to initiate and participate in play activities. (English, Goldstein, Shafer, & Kaczmarek, 1997). Lale and Gül were taught 11 sub-social skills considered to comprise fewer than 4 basic play skill stages.…”

“…Behaviors initializing interactions between peers were referred to as social initiations and responses to initialized interactions were referred to as social responses in this study. In many studies investigating social action, it is likely to see skills coded under certain headings based on their features in order to facilitate the recording of data (English, Goldstein, Shafer, & Kaczmarek, 1997;Goldstein & Ferrell, 1987;Goldstein & Wickstrom, 1986;Odom & Ogawa, 1992;Özaydın et al, 2008 …”

“…Providing independent application with feedback (English et al, 1997;McGinnis & Goldstein, 2003). This process was carried out in the same order with all the target children until 80% of the play skills taught to the subjects were exhibited correctly.…”