Supporting peer engagement for low-income preschool students with autism spectrum disorder during academic instruction: A pilot randomized trial.

Children with autism spectrum disorder attending special education preschool classrooms may not receive support that addresses their core challenges, such as engagement and social communication. There are interventions designed to target these core challenges, like the play-based intervention known as Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation. Embedding strategies from an intervention like Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation into more traditional academic activities can help teachers target engagement and social communication throughout the school day. In the current study, we collaborated with special education preschool teachers to embed Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation strategies during small group time for moderate to severe disability students with autism spectrum disorder, 3-5 years of age. Compared to teachers implementing the standard preschool curriculum, teachers trained in Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation strategies effectively embedded these strategies in their small group activities, and their students were more likely to engage with peers during these activities. Supporting teachers to embed targeted strategies in academic activities can help them provide students more opportunities to engage with peers during the school day. Teachers can support their autistic students to interact appropriately with their peers. Unlike interventions that train peers to act as a teacher, embedding Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation strategies during small group academic activities facilitates naturalistic social interactions for autistic students.