The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

One of the most important goals for any parent or educator is to promote independence of a young adult and to help launch them into a world that accepts them and promotes their abilities and interests. During times of teaching and training of skills at home, school, or in the community, the adult 'teacher' usually maintains a proximal distance (within an arm's length) of the learner. Without realizing it, this close distance could delay independence by decreasing the interaction of the young adult with his/her peers, co-workers, and community helpers. It is vital to learn how to fade proximity while teaching independence. This not only will increase the rate of social interaction for the young adult, it will increase the rate of learning, improve confidence in skills, and improve relations with the community and the young adult. Applications of evidenced based research and hands on experience will be discussed and demonstrated.

The proximity of an adult may effect the social interactions of children with and without disabilities in inclusive education settings (Werts, Zigmond, & Leeper, 2001;Young, Simpson, Myles, & Kamps, 1997). In the current study, a multielement design was used to examine the relationship between the location of a paraprofessional and the frequency of social interactions between children with and without disabilities. Participants were two children diagnosed with autism and mental retardation, along with their typically developing peers. The amount of distance between the paraprofessional and the child with disabilities was manipulated in two conditions. In the proximal condition, the paraprofessional remained at arm’s length from the student with disabilities. In the distal condition, the paraprofessional remained at least 10 feet from the student. Total social initiations and responses of all participants were examined under the two conditions. The children with and without disabilities interacted more frequently when the paraprofessional was in the distal position. The general education teacher also generally directed more social initiations to the child with disabilities when the paraprofessional was in the distal condition. The paraprofessional interacted more frequently with the child with disabilities when positioned within arm’s length of the student.

Research reviewed will be:

Garro, J & Lerman, D (2007). The Effects of Paraprofessional Proximity on the Social Interaction of Children With and Without Disabilities. (thesis). University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, TX. Accepted Poster Presentation and Disscussant at 2008 Applied Behavior Analysis International Conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Giangreco, M.F., Edelman, S.W., Broer, S.M., & Doyle, M.B. (2001). Paraprofessional support of students with disabilities: literature from the past decade. Exceptional Children 68(1), 45-63.

Scheeler, M.C., McKinnon, K, & Stout, J. (2012). Effects of Immediate Feedback Delivered via Webcam and Bug-in-Ear Technology on Preservice Teacher Performance. The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council of Exceptional Children 35 (1), 77-90.