The Effects of Social Initiation Training Using the Naturalistic Intervention on Social Interactions of Young Children with Developmental Delay with Their Peers

Kim, Ji Young; Lee, So Hyun

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2003;8(3): 253-274.

Ji Young Kim^` , and So Hyun Lee^`

김지영(Ji Young Kim)| 이소현(So Hyun Lee)

ABSTRACT

The acquisition of peer-related social competence is a very important task for children in their early development. Most children learn the skills to interact with peers in preschool years. But young children with developmental delay have difficulty in peer social interactions because of the lack of social skills. It has been noted that the lack of social initiation skills of young children with developmental delay might be one of the main reasons that obstructs their reciprocal interactions with peers. Therefore, the early intervention for initiating social interactions in the inclusive settings has been considered as an important intervention strategy for increasing peer social interactions. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social initiation training using the naturalistic intervention for three preschoolers with developmental delay toward their peers in an inclusive classroom. This study used the multiple baseline design across subjects. Four weeks after the intervention was completed, maintenance effects were evaluated in the same setting as the baseline condition. Results from the study are the following: First, social initiation skills of young children with developmental delay toward peers without disabilities were increased after the application of naturalistic intervention for social initiative behavior. Second, social inter- actions between young children with and without developmental delay were increased through the naturalistic intervention for social initiative behavior. Third, increased social initiation skills and social interactions of the young children with developmental delay were maintained four weeks after the intervention was completed. Implications for facilitating social interactions between children with and without developmental delay in the inclusive preschool environment were discussed.