Effects of a Social Communication Intervention on Interactive Play for Young Children with Disabilities

Purpose: The first research aim was to examine whether children’s interactive play with peers changed during the course of the intervention. The second research aim was to examine whether children generalized newly learned skills to the classroom or playground. The third research aim was to examine how children responded to the intervention based upon the presence of a disability and disability severity. Method: We examined the use of a social communication intervention to promote interactive play for children in dyads using a multiple baseline single subject design. The intervention consisted of three components: (a) a planning period for instructional purposes, (b) a play session to practice skills, and (c) a performance reporting period to review skills. Participants included preschool students (n = 34) enrolled in Head Start and collaborative classrooms and kindergarten students (n = 2) with language difficulties, social skill difficulties, and/or problem behavior. Results: Results indicated that interactive play with peers increased during the intervention sessions for most children. The greatest effects were observed for at-risk children and children with emotional and behavioral disorders experienced limited effects. Conclusions: The results support the use of the intervention package. We discuss implications and future directions.