Children with Autism in the Inclusive Preschool Classroom: A Systematic Review of Single-Subject Design Interventions on Social Communication Skills

Sarah G. Hansen, Allison W. Blakely, Jill K. Dolata, Tracy Raulston, Wendy Machalicek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Changes in legislation have led to an increased push for children with autism spectrum disorder to be educated in classrooms with typically developing peers. This systematic review of the literature between the years of 2005 and 2012 aimed to identify effective interventions to support the children with autism spectrum disorder in the inclusive preschool classroom. Single-subject studies concerning the improvement of social communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive preschools were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases using key terms, journal hand searches, and ancestral searches of identified articles. Data were extracted from the resulting 16 articles to (a) examine rigor of design, (b) evaluate intervention effectiveness using visual analysis and percentage non-overlapping data (PND), and (c) determine evidence-based practices. Results suggest a range of effective interventions to improve the social communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive preschool classrooms. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)192-206
Number of pages15
JournalReview Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume1
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Inclusion
  • Meta-analysis
  • Preschool
  • Social skills

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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