The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

The current study challenges the widespread belief that sharing child-specific information with typical peers leads to stigmatization. A multi-component peer awareness training succeeded in positively changing typical peer attitudes and behaviors toward a peer with autism, while simultaneously increasing frequency of positive interactions between peers and a child with autism. In the literature on social inclusion of children with ASD, researchers have expressed concern about sharing child-specific information about children with autism to 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. 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 per 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 compared to determine if the training had an effect on attitude change. To determine how this training indirectly affected the child with autism, his initiation and responsivity rates were scored as well. Overall, considerable improvements in both behavior and attitude were found for all participants. The noted improvements in the child with autism were especially gratifying because, although he received 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, an increase in their participation at after school sites and extracurricular programs has arisen. 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 to 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.

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