Visual Supports to Increase Conversation Engagement for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Mealtimes: An Initial Investigation

Abstract

The diversity of children within the preschool classroom is dramatically changing as children with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly included within it. To engage in the benefits of inclusion, social skills are needed. Yet, children with autism commonly experience difficulties in this area. Extant literature indicates that social skills are more successfully acquired when taught through naturalistic and embedded instruction in established routines. A commonly occurring routine in most classroom, home, and community settings is mealtime. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Snack Talk, a visual communication support, for increasing the communication engagement of five preschool children with autism. A reversal design across participants was used to analyze the relation between Snack Talk and conversation engagement. Results from the maintenance probes show that conversation engagement increased across all participants when compared to baseline. Furthermore, a functional relation was established between the teaching phase (baseline and intervention data collection phases) and the maintenance phase. Limitations and directions for further research are also discussed.