Promoting Snack Time Interactions of Children With Autism in a Malaysian Preschool

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a comprehensive social skills intervention package combining peer-mediated strategies and environmental arrangements on the peer interactions of three children with autism in a Malaysian preschool. Following baseline, nine typically developing children participated in social initiation training and correspondence training for engaging with their classmates with autism at snack time. Environmental arrangements involving modification of snack time activities along with provision of materials for social interaction were incorporated. Intervention effects were evaluated using a single-subject multiple-baseline design across participants. Results indicated significant gains in reciprocal social interactions and verbal interactions for the children with autism. In the maintenance phase, the children sustained high levels of performance with continuation of environmental arrangements after termination of peer-mediated procedures. Teachers’ interview data indicated positive perceptions of the effects and acceptability of the intervention package but modest ratings on feasibility.

Using Family Style Dining to Increase Social Interactions in Young Children

“…Previous studies have used systematic instruction during mealtimes to facilitate social interactions. For example, Lee and Lee (2015) found a comprehensive social skills intervention package, combining peer-mediated strategies and environmental arrangements, increased the social and verbal interactions of three children with autism during snack time in a Malaysian preschool classroom. The researchers and classroom teacher trained peers of the children with autism to use specific social skills (e.g., offer food, prompt, say “thank you,” initiate joint attention).…”

Applying the Contact Theory in Inclusive Education: A Systematic Review on the Impact of Contact and Information on the Social Participation of Students With Disabilities

“…Whereas, social acceptance and friendship are voluntary in character and cannot be enforced (Howe and Leach, 2018), interactions can also be involuntary. Many interventions enforced interactions by utilizing extrinsic motivation, such as praises or rewards, to initiate and pursue social interaction with a peer with a disability (e.g., English et al, 1997;Goldstein et al, 1997;Kohler et al, 2007;Lee and Lee, 2015). While these methods produce immediate effects, they will also erode the intrinsic motivation of students to communicate with their peers with disabilities and will probably result in less interaction after de extrinsic motivation is taken away.…”

“…Stimulating contact by making use of students' intrinsic motivation to interact will result is more permanent effects. Moreover, in several interventions typically developing students were prompted by teachers or assistants when no interaction took place for a predefined amount of time (e.g., Goldstein and Cisar, 1992;Antia et al, 1993;Storey et al, 1993;Frea et al, 1999;Odom et al, 1999;Nelson et al, 2007;Kamps et al, 2015;Lee and Lee, 2015). This might be a good way to start up interactions between students with and without disabilities, however, since the interaction data were often collected during intervention sessions, the positive results are most likely an overestimation of the real voluntary social interactions that took place in day to day classroom activities outside of the intervention (e.g., at the playground).…”

Effects of Peer Support Interventions on the Communication of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

“…Four studies (22%) used a self-monitoring component. Lee and Lee 31 used a "good friend board" to help peers keep track of the number of friendship behaviors in which they engaged with children with ASD. Video modeling was used in two studies (11%).…”