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

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (05) ◽  
pp. 443-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Chapin ◽  
Susannah Boyle ◽  
Salena Babb ◽  
David McNaughton
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Early Childhood Settings ◽  
Support Model

AbstractMany young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience difficulty in the development of communication skills. Teaching peers to make use of communication support behaviors has been investigated as a strategy to increase communication for young children with ASD in early childhood settings. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine (1) the overall effects of peer support interventions on the communication of young children with ASD and (2) any possible moderating variables related to participant and intervention characteristics. The social support model was used as a framework for the study of intervention components. Eighteen single-case experimental design studies (48 children with ASD) met the inclusion criteria and were advanced to the full coding and analysis phase of the investigation. Descriptive analyses and effect size estimations using the improvement rate difference (IRD) metric were conducted. Overall, peer support interventions were found to be effective across a range of young children with ASD and intervention approaches. Evidence was also identified for the use of the social support model as a framework to guide the development of peer interventions in early childhood settings. The use of friendship groups, the selection of play materials based on the interests of the child with ASD, and the provision of augmentative and alternative communication appeared to be associated with positive communication outcomes.

The Roles of Stress and Support on Student-Teacher Relationships in Educators of Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Rawn ◽  
Sarah Lang
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Student Teacher ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Teacher Relationships ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Student Teacher Relationships

The current study examined the associations of teachers' stress with the quality of their relationships with young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and if teachers' organizational and social support were also associated with aspects of these relationships. A sample of educators (N=42) of children with ASD were examined utilizing a cross-sectional survey that assessed stress, closeness (i.e., warmth and support) and conflict (i.e., tension and negative affect) in student-teacher relationships, and varying support systems. All participants worked in either a specialized institute or a specialized classroom predominantly serving young children with ASD. Regression revealed that higher stress, controlling for education level, was associated with higher conflict in student-teacher relationships but was not related to closeness. Controlling for stress and education, social support was positively associated with closeness. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Play-Based Interventions Targeting the Social Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Educational Contexts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina O’Keeffe ◽  
Sinéad McNally
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social

AbstractChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience social communication difficulties which can be compounded by increased social demands and expectations of the school environment. Play offers a unique context for social communication development in educational settings. This systematic review aimed to synthesize play-based interventions for the social communication skills of children with ASD in educational contexts and identified nine studies. Overall, studies in this review provided a promising evidence base for supporting social communication skills through play in education for children with ASD. The review also highlighted gaps in research on play-based interventions for the social communication skills of children with ASD within naturalistic educational settings.

scholarly journals The Impact of Play on Social Skills of Young Children with ASD in Educational Contexts: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina O'Keeffe ◽  
Sinead McNally
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Educational Settings ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience social communication difficulties which can be compounded by increased social demands and expectations of the school environment. Play offers a unique context for social communication development in educational settings. This systematic review aimed to synthesize play-based interventions for the social communication skills of children with ASD in educational contexts and identified nine studies. Overall, studies in this review provided a promising evidence-base for supporting social communication skills in children with ASD within educational contexts. The review also highlighted gaps in research on play-based interventions for the social communication skills of children with ASD within naturalistic educational settings.

scholarly journals From Close Connections to Feeling Misunderstood: How Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Perceive Support from Family Members and Friends

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Geneviève LaRoche ◽  
Catherine Des Rivières-Pigeon
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Support Relationships

This qualitative study examines the social support of parents of children with ASD living in Québec, Canada. Eighteen parents described their social support experiences before and after their child’s first signs of ASD. The results of this study indicate that parents recall many unhelpful support experiences after their child’s first signs of ASD. The results also suggest that the parents’ support needs greatly outweigh the support they perceive from family and friends. To our knowledge, this study is the first to recognise that receiving adequate social support requires significant involvement from parents who find themselves having to compensate for the lack of knowledge about autism in the general population. The results of this study put forth the active role that parents play in the reshaping of their support relationships and highlight the changes that occur in these relationships over time. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Gender stereotypes and biases in early childhood: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
pp. 183693912199984
Author(s):  
Tania L King ◽  
Anna J Scovelle ◽  
Anneke Meehl ◽  
Allison J Milner ◽  
Naomi Priest
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Gender Attitudes ◽  
Cultural Environment ◽  
Large Role ◽  
Gender Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Early Childhood Settings ◽  
Substantial Heterogeneity

This review aimed to synthesise studies examining the presence of gender stereotypes and biases expressed by young children aged 3–5 years, with a focus on informing early childhood settings. Our review located only 21 separate studies in 16 articles, highlighting a dearth of research in this area. There was substantial heterogeneity in the operationalisation of gender stereotypes and biases. There was evidence that children in early childhood are aware of, and can apply, gender stereotypes. There was also evidence of the malleability of these biases and stereotypes. The social and cultural environment plays a large role in defining the cues by which young children classify on the basis of gender. Research is needed to understand ways to support the establishment of equitable gender attitudes amongst children in early childhood, as this could deliver important benefits to individuals across their lifetime, as well as society more broadly.

Disfluency Characteristics Observed in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Report

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura W. Plexico ◽  
Julie E. Cleary ◽  
Ashlynn McAlpine ◽  
Allison M. Plumb
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Developmental Stuttering

This descriptive study evaluates the speech disfluencies of 8 verbal children between 3 and 5 years of age with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Speech samples were collected for each child during standardized interactions. Percentage and types of disfluencies observed during speech samples are discussed. Although they did not have a clinical diagnosis of stuttering, all of the young children with ASD in this study produced disfluencies. In addition to stuttering-like disfluencies and other typical disfluencies, the children with ASD also produced atypical disfluencies, which usually are not observed in children with typically developing speech or developmental stuttering. (Yairi & Ambrose, 2005).

scholarly journals Who Is Centered? A Systematic Review of Early Childhood Researchers’ Descriptions of Children and Caregivers From Linguistically Minoritized Communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Xigrid T. Soto-Boykin ◽  
Anne L. Larson ◽  
Arnold Olszewski ◽  
Veena Velury ◽  
Anna Feldberg
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Early Childhood Special Education ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
Linguistic Backgrounds ◽  
Infants And Young Children

Young children with and without disabilities who are bilingual or in the process of learning multiple languages have many strengths; however, educational policies and bias related to bilingualism for children from linguistically minoritized groups have typically included deficit-based views. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify how researchers describe these children and their caregivers. Thirty research studies were included in the review. Each study was published in Infants and Young Children, Journal of Early Intervention, or Topics in Early Childhood Special Education between 1988 and 2020. Studies were coded to determine participant characteristics and whether deficit- or strength-based descriptions of participants were used. Although researchers’ descriptions of participants’ linguistic backgrounds varied, most were English-centric, and deficit-based descriptions of bilingualism were more prevalent than strength-based descriptions. Preliminary recommendations are provided for describing children and families from linguistically minoritized communities and including strength-based language in research and practice.

scholarly journals Review of Cognitive Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Performance on Six Subtests on Four Versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuho Takayanagi ◽  
Yoko Kawasaki ◽  
Mieko Shinomiya ◽  
Hoshino Hiroshi ◽  
Satoshi Okada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Cognitive Characteristics ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study was a systematic review of research using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine cognitive characteristics of children with ASD beyond the impact of revisions based on WISC and diagnostic criteria changes. The classic “islets of ability” was found in individuals with full-scale IQs < 100. The “right-descending profiles” were observed among high IQ score individuals. High levels on the Block Design and low Coding levels were consistently found regardless of the variation in intellectual functioning or diagnosis. This review identified patterns of cognitive characteristics in ASD individuals using empirical data that researchers may have previously been aware of, based on their experiences, owing to the increased prevalence of ASD.

scholarly journals Tactile cortical responses and association with tactile reactivity in young children on the autism spectrum

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja Espenhahn ◽  
Kate J. Godfrey ◽  
Sakshi Kaur ◽  
Maia Ross ◽  
Niloy Nath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Real World ◽  
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Childhood Autism ◽  
Verbal Abilities ◽  
Early Childhood Autism

Abstract Background Unusual behavioral reactions to sensory stimuli are frequently reported in individuals on the autism spectrum (AS). Despite the early emergence of sensory features (< age 3) and their potential impact on development and quality of life, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying sensory reactivity in early childhood autism. Methods Here, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate tactile cortical processing in young children aged 3–6 years with autism and in neurotypical (NT) children. Scalp EEG was recorded from 33 children with autism, including those with low cognitive and/or verbal abilities, and 45 age- and sex-matched NT children during passive tactile fingertip stimulation. We compared properties of early and later somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) and their adaptation with repetitive stimulation between autistic and NT children and assessed whether these neural measures are linked to “real-world” parent-reported tactile reactivity. Results As expected, we found elevated tactile reactivity in children on the autism spectrum. Our findings indicated no differences in amplitude or latency of early and mid-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials (P50, N80, P100), nor adaptation between autistic and NT children. However, latency of later processing of tactile information (N140) was shorter in young children with autism compared to NT children, suggesting faster processing speed in young autistic children. Further, correlational analyses and exploratory analyses using tactile reactivity as a grouping variable found that enhanced early neural responses were associated with greater tactile reactivity in autism. Limitations The relatively small sample size and the inclusion of a broad range of autistic children (e.g., with low cognitive and/or verbal abilities) may have limited our power to detect subtle group differences and associations. Hence, replications are needed to verify these results. Conclusions Our findings suggest that electrophysiological somatosensory cortex processing measures may be indices of “real-world” tactile reactivity in early childhood autism. Together, these findings advance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying tactile reactivity in early childhood autism and, in the clinical context, may have therapeutic implications.

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