The Use of Peer-Mediated Interventions to Promote the Generalization of Social Competence for Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome

Abstract

Impairments in social competence are core deficits for individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome (HFA/AS). As the incidence rate for these disorders continues to increase so does the urgency to identify evidence-based interventions that can remediate core deficits in order to provide these individuals with independence as well as an enhanced quality of life. If not remediated, skill deficits can have extensive cost for the individual, families, and society as a whole. Although the social competence literature shows that individuals with HFA/AS can acquire social skills, these skills often do not consistently generalize into natural environments. Peer-mediated interventions have proven successful in teaching a number of social behaviors to individuals with autism and have also shown to promote generalization and maintenance. This study is one of the first to investigate the impact of two peer-mediated interventions on the generalization of social interaction skills acquired in a school-based social competence intervention for three adolescents with HFA/AS. The results indicate that the addition of peer-mediated interventions enhanced generalized gains in social interaction beyond those of a school-based social competence intervention.