Behaviorally Based Interventions for Teaching Social Interaction Skills to Children with ASD in Inclusive Settings: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Behaviorally based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective to teach social interaction skills for children with autism spectrum disorders in general education. However, the overall and moderating effects of these interventions have not been previously investigated in inclusive settings. The goal of this study was to investigate the overall effectiveness and contextual factors that moderate intervention effectiveness in inclusive settings. Findings showed overall high effect size based on studies previously considered of methodological quality in single-case research. Interventions are demonstrated to be highly effective for children aged 2–10 years. While differences were found according to target social skills and behavioral components used, no differential effects were found regarding intervention implementer and peer training. The findings highlight the practical significance of behavioral interventions and guide educators toward more suitable evidence-based practices in inclusive settings.