The Use of Correspondence Training to Increase Peer Social Behavior of Children with Autism in Inclusive Preschool Classrooms

Abstract

Children diagnosed with autism frequently exhibit marked impairments in social interaction. Peer social behavior can be an especially challenging skill for children with autism. Interaction with peers is integral in the development of peer relationships, successful inclusion, membership, and the use of self-advocacy for these children. The purpose of this study was to implement an intervention to increase peer social behavior in inclusive preschool classrooms for three children diagnosed with autism. A multiple-baseline across participants design was implemented to determine if correspondence training was an effective intervention used to increase the participants' peer social behavior. A partial-interval recording system was used to record peer social behavior and teacher behavior. The results of this study demonstrated that correspondence training was effective in increasing each participant's peer social behavior. In addition, social validity data suggested that this intervention was minimally-intrusive, easily implemented in a classroom setting and possibly generalizable to additional settings.