Improving the Social Communication Skills of At-Risk Preschool Children in a Play Context

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effects of a three-component intervention on the social-communicative interactions of six preschool children at risk for language delays and behavior problems. In a multiple baseline design across three dyads, children were taught to (a) plan their play, (b) use conversational social interaction strategies, and (c) self-evaluate their play interactions. The number of social-communicative behaviors by each child increased following introduction of the intervention condition, as did their use of descriptive and request utterances during play sessions. Increases in linguistic complexity and diversity and play complexity also were associated with the intervention. This intervention holds promise for improving social, linguistic, and play behaviors in preschoolers at risk for language delays and behavior problems.