The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

In the literature on social inclusion of children with ASD, researchers have expressed concern about sharing child-specific information about children with autism with their typically developing peers (Campbell, 2006). Based on the current influx in ASD diagnoses, as well as the increase in mainstreamed/included children with an ASD diagnosis in schools, there is a need for increased awareness and understanding of autism by peers and educators. In my work as a one-on-one behavioral therapist with children with autism, I have seen improvements in the conversational skills, initiations and responsivity rates, and willingness to engage in a more expansive repertoire of activities in children with autism. What I have not seen, however, is an increased understanding of why these children act the way they do on the part of their typical peers, particularly with those on the lower end of the spectrum whose stimulatory behaviors, inflexibilities and communication difficulties may never completely dissipate. This lack of understanding hinders the rate of improvement in the previously mentioned areas in children with autism as their typical peers are hesitant to interact with them.

The current multiple-baseline across grouped participants (Bailey & Burch, 2002) study looks at the differences in attitudes and behaviors toward a child with autism based on a six-week autism awareness training. Three groups of three peers (N=9) met once a week for 45 minutes a day for six weeks. Each group met and discussed various topics related to diversity, minorities, disabilities, differences, similarities and autism. In addition to discussions, videos, books, simulation activities and additional critical-thinking activities were incorporated. Each participant's number of initiations and responses, both verbal and non-verbal, toward the child with autism was tracked throughout the intervention, with 3-month follow-up probes. To determine attitudinal changes, typical peer participants and non-participants were given a 22-question survey on their attitudes towards those with disabilities, both before and after the training.

Participant and non-participant scores were then compared to determine if the training had an effect on attitude change. To determine how this training indirectly affected the rate of initiations and responsivity of the child with autism, his rates were scored as well. Overall, significant improvements in both behavior and attitude were found in all participants. The noted improvements in the child with autism were especially gratifying because, although he received Pivotal Response Training (PRT) for the past five years, it had not resulted in any dramatic changes in his social abilities. He often remarked that others did not like him and he was well aware that people made fun of him and did not want to include him willingly, thus making him unwilling to participate himself. However, once his typical peers were nice to him and began including and helping him independently, his social behaviors expanded.

An additional characteristic of the current study that makes it beneficial is that it took place at an after- school program, the Boys' and Girls' Club. Very little research has been conducted at sites other than schools and, again, with the increase in children with ASD being included, there has been a rise in their participation at after-school sites and extracurricular programs. Thus, more research is needed in these sites.

Ultimately, this training will be manualized, as it is easy to follow and inexpensive to carry out. The biggest argument against sharing specific information about a child and his/her disability, specifically with peers, is that of increased stigmatization. This research suggests that child-specific information presented within a broader curriculum about autism does not lead to stigmatization, and may in fact have the opposite effect of helping children better understand and accept their peers with autism.