title: Teaching preschool age autistic children to make spontaneous initiations to peers using priming.
abstract: Children with autism rarely initiate social interactions with their peers. Currently available interventions have not increased autistic children' spontaneous initiations in natural settings without extensive teacher involvement. A "priming" strategy consisting of a low demand, high reinforcement session prior to the regular school activity was used to increase the spontaneous social initiations of 2 preschool age autistic boys to typically developing peers in a regular preschool classroom. Peers were also trained to independently respond to initiations. Implications for developing practical ways to improve autistic children's social functioning in regular school settings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Life, University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zanolli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daggett
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior