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Teaching preschool age autistic children to make spontaneous initiations to peers using priming

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Abstract

Children with autism rarely initiate social interactions with their peers. Currently available interventions have not increased autistic children' spontaneous initiations in natural settings without extensive teacher involvement. A “priming” strategy consisting of a low demand, high reinforcement session prior to the regular school activity was used to increase the spontaneous social initiations of 2 preschool age autistic boys to typically developing peers in a regular preschool classroom. Peers were also trained to independently respond to initiations. Implications for developing practical ways to improve autistic children's social functioning in regular school settings are discussed.

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Zanolli, K., Daggett, J. & Adams, T. Teaching preschool age autistic children to make spontaneous initiations to peers using priming. J Autism Dev Disord 26, 407–422 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02172826

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