Abstract
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of cooperative physical activities on social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China. Cooperative physical activities include procedures such as peer selection, peer practice, group task completion, and an interdependent group contingency. The intervention took place during inclusive physical education (PE) classes. Generalization of interactions with peers was evaluated during free play. Three preschool boys (ages 4–5 yrs) with ASD participated in the study, which used a multiple baseline design across the participants. Results indicated that the procedure effectively increased the frequency of appropriate peer interactions for all three children in the PE and free play settings. Although the frequency of inappropriate interactions increased after the intervention in both settings, the proportion of inappropriate interactions relative to appropriate interactions decreased for two children in the PE setting and for all three children in the free play setting.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments and repetitive behavior patterns or circumscribed interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
Research has demonstrated that children with ASD benefit academically, socially, and psychologically from full participation in inclusive education, more so than they do from specialized training in isolated settings (Crosland & Dunlap, 2012; Koegel et al, 2012)
Jun was diagnosed with ASD by a pediatrician using the Chinese version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS; Lu et al, 2004; Schopler et al, 2002) and the criteria of ASD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments and repetitive behavior patterns or circumscribed interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Social difficulties for children with ASD often lie in their inability to initiate and sustain interactions with others (Kasari & Patterson, 2012). Target children and their peers may be required to behave in ways that are not consistent with their preferred interests or with their developmental levels (Koegel et al, 2012). It is Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions 00(0). Important that social interventions designed to be carried out in inclusive settings are manageable for the implementers and developmentally appropriate and naturally reinforcing for students
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