Cognitive Communication in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ABSTRACT Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty connecting with others because they often lack the communication, social interaction, and play skills necessary for developing relationships with their peers. This article highlights the characteristics of four peer intervention programs described in the literature that have been successful in facilitating the social connections between children with ASD and their typical peers. The environments established for intervention, the role of the typical peer, and the role of the adult are described across the four programs. A fifth peer intervention program is introduced that focuses on establishing peer connections in the home of the child with ASD while facilitating bids and responses for behavior regulation, social interaction, and joint attention in the child with ASD and his or her typical peer in the context of play. Implications for practice are provided as clinicians consider the role peer mediation has in intervention planning and implementation for children with ASD. KEYWORDS: Intervention, autism spectrum disorders, peer mediation, children Learning Outcomes: As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to (1) explain the characteristics of effective peer intervention programs; (2) identify the role of the typical peer in peer intervention; and (3) describe adult intervention strategies used to scaffold social interactions among children with ASD and their typical peers