Integrating Written Text and Graphic Cues Into Peer-Mediated Interventions: Effects on Reciprocal Social Communication Skills

A growing body of evidence has supported the use of peer-mediated interventions to increase the social-communication skills of students with a variety of developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Despite these promising results, however, many practitioners may struggle to effectively implement peer-mediated interventions across the diverse presentation and skill profiles of students with ASD, specifically in accommodating the unique language and communication needs of their students. This article presents an example of integrating written-graphic and text cues into a peer-mediated intervention for three elementary-age students with ASD. Emphasis is placed on describing the teaching procedures used to encourage students with ASD and peers to participate in shared games and activities together, using written-graphic and text cues to support appropriate social communication. Additionally, strategies for selecting and including typically-developing peers to participate in social skills programming are reviewed. Data collected throughout the peer-mediated intervention demonstrates the positive effect of systematic social skills instruction for both students with disabilities and their peers.

A self-correcting approach to reading in a foreign language

This work presents a reading methodology which has proved successful in the teaching os ESP to Portuguese speaking students. The work relies heavily on the development of reading strategies which tax cognitive capacities (inferential thinking, problem solving) and which provide a self-monitoring, self-correcting component which both motivates and builds confidence. The method involves three parts and goes from the general to the specific back to the general. First the student forms an overall view of the text through the maximum use of text cues and his previous knowledge of the subject matter, fostering his development of perception and segmentation strategies. Then he analyses the text in order to develop inferetial strategies and skills for extracting detailed information. Finally he synthesizes the scattered information to get a more accurate view of the text than in the initial stages. Advantages of the method are explored.

Effects of Peer Training and Written Text Cueing on Social Communication of School-Age Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder

This study consecutively examined the effects of 2 social interventions—peer training and written text treatment—on the social communication of 5 elementary students with pervasive developmental disorder. Each child with autism was paired with 2 peers without disabilities to form 5 triads. In Intervention 1 (peer training), peers were taught to use 5 facilitative social skills over 5 days. After peer training, 4 children with autism increased or used more stable rates of initiations and contingent responses overall. However, all children continued to demonstrate deficits in specific social-communication skills. Once Intervention 2 (direct instruction using written text cues) was implemented, increased use of 3 different communication skills was observed across all 5 participants. In addition, social validity outcomes revealed improved quality of child-peer interactions, 2 teacher reports of improved social skill development, and improved acceptance and friendship ratings for the children with autism. Results support the use of written text cues to improve children's social communication with peers, and suggest that combining approaches may be necessary to improve the quality of children's relationships.