The effectiveness of a group teaching interaction procedure for teaching social skills to young children with a pervasive developmental disorder

Deficits in social skills are characteristic of children with autism. Clinicians often include teaching these skills as part of comprehensive curriculum. One method of developing social skills for children with autism is the teaching interaction procedure. This procedure involves describing the behavior, providing a rational and cues when to use the behavior, dividing the skill into smaller steps, demonstrating the behavior, having the learner role play the behavior, and providing feedback. This study implemented a teaching interaction procedure as part of group social-skills instruction for five children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. A multiple-probe design across behaviors and replicated across participants was used. All five participants acquired the social skills taught to them and generalization was promoted.