The importance of early peer interaction for the development of positive outcomes on adult life adjustment measures has been well documented. Children who do not engage in social interaction, or do so at a depressed rate, do not have access to this avenue for skill development. The purpose of this article is to provide an illustrative review of the most recent advances in social interaction research for children who exhibit a wide range of behavioral disorders. Specifically, teacher-mediated, peermediated, and interpersonal problem-solving approaches to promoting social interaction are presented. In addition, factors which affect social interaction training such as type of activities, presence of socially competent peers, and subject characteristics are discussed. Finally, suggestions for further research are advanced.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllenK. E., HartB., BuellJ. S., HarrisF. R., & WolfM. M. (1964). Effects of social reinforcement on isolate behavior of a nursery school child.Child Development, 35, 511–518.
2.
BartonE. J., & AscioneF. R. (1979). Sharing in preschool children: Facilitation, stimulus generalization, response generalization, and maintenance.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 417–430.
3.
BradyM. P., ShoresR. E., GunterP., McEvoyM. A., FoxJ. J., & WhiteC. (1984). Generalization of a severely handicapped adolescent's social interaction responses via multiple peers in a classroom setting.Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 9, 278–286.
4.
BrownW. H., RaglandE. V., & FoxJ. J. (1987). Effects of group socialization procedures on the social interactions of preschool children. Manuscript submitted for publication.
5.
BryantL. E., & BuddK. S. (1984). Teaching behaviorally handicapped preschool children to share.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 17(1), 45–56.
6.
BuellJ. S., StoddardT., HarrisF. R., & BaerD. M. (1968). Collateral social development accompanying reinforcement of outdoor play in a preschool child.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 167–173.
7.
CowenE. L., PetersonA., BabigianH., IzzoL. D., & TrostM. A. (1973). Long term follow-up of early detected vulnerable children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41, 438–446.
8.
DamonW. (1984). Peer education: The untapped potential.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 5, 331–334.
9.
DeKlyenM., & OdomS. L. (1987). Structure and preschool peer interactions: Beyond the mainstream. Manuscript submitted for publication.
10.
FoxJ. J., GunterP., BradyM. P., BambaraL. M., Speigel-McGillP., & ShoresR. E. (1984). Using multiple peer exemplars to develop generalized social responding of an autistic girl. In RutherfordR. B.Jr., & Michael NelsonC. (Eds.), Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth (Vol. 7, pp. 17–26). Reston, VA: Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders.
11.
FurmanW., RaheD., & HartupW. (1979). Rehabilitation of socially withdrawn preschool children through mixed-age and same-age socialization.Child Development, 50(4), 915–922.
12.
GuralnickM. J. (1981). Peer influences on development of communicative competence. In StrainP. (Ed.), The utilization of peers as behavior change agents (pp. 31–68). New York: Plenum.
13.
HartB. M., ReynoldsN. J., BaerD. M., BrawleyE. R., & HarrisF. R. (1968). Effect of contingent and noncontingent social reinforcement on the cooperative play of a preschool child.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 73–76.
14.
HartupW. W. (1983). Peer relations. In HeatheringtonM. (Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 103–196). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
15.
HartupW. W., & SancilioM. F. (1986). Children's friendships. In SchoplerE., & MesibovG. (Eds.), Social behavior in autism (pp. 61–80). New York: Plenum.
16.
HecimovicA., FoxJ. J., ShoresR. E., & StrainP. S. (1985). An analysis of developmentally integrated and segregated freeplay setting and the generalization of newly-acquired social behaviors of socially withdrawn preschoolers.Behavioral Assessment, 7, 367–388.
17.
HendricksonJ. M., StrainP. S., TremblayA., & ShoresR. E. (1982). Interactions of behaviorally handicapped preschoolers: Functional effects of peer social initiations.Behavior Modification, 6, 323–353.
18.
KoeningsA., & OppenheimerL. (1985). Development and training of role-taking abilities with emotionally disturbed preschoolers: A pilot study.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 6, 313–320.
19.
LordC., & HopkinsJ. M. (1986). The social behavior of autistic children with younger and same-aged nonhandicapped peers.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 16, 249–262.
20.
MastropieriM. A., & ScruggsT. E. (1985). Early intervention for socially withdrawn children.Journal of Special Education, 19(4), 427–441.
21.
McEvoyM. A., NordquistV. M., TwardoszS., HeckamanK. A., WehbyJ. H., & DennyR. K. (1987). Promoting autistic children's peer interaction in integrated early childhood settings using affection activities and incidental teaching. Manuscript submitted for publication.
22.
McHaleS. (1983). Social intervention of autistic and nonhandicapped children during freeplay.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 53(1), 81–91.
23.
MuellerE., & VandellD. (1979). Infant-infant interaction. In OsofskyJ. (Ed.), Handbook of infant development (pp. 714–756). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
24.
MurrayF. (1972). The acquisition of conservation through social interaction.Developmental Psychology, 6, 1–6.
25.
NordquistV. M. (1978). A behavioral approach to the analysis of peer interactions. In GuralnickM. (Ed.), Early intervention and the integration of handicapped and nonhandicapped children (pp. 53–84). Baltimore: University Park Press.
26.
NordquistV. M., TwardoszS., McEvoyM. A., & WilsonS. (1981). Project SEARCH: Observer training manual. Unpublished manuscript, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
27.
OdomS. L., HoysonM., JamiesonB., & StrainP. S. (1985). Increasing handicapped preschoolers peer social interactions: Cross setting and component analysis.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 3–16.
28.
OdomS. L., McEvoyM. A., OstroskyM., & BishopL. (1987, May). Measuring the functional social interaction of preschool children. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association of Behavior Analysis, Nashville, TN.
29.
OdomS. L., & StrainP. S. (1984a). Peer-mediated approaches to increasing children's social interactions: A review.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 54, 544–557.
30.
OdomS. L., & StrainP. S. (1984b). Classroom-based social skills instruction for severely handicapped preschool children.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 4, 97–116.
31.
OdomS. L., & StrainP. S. (1986). A comparison of peer-initiation and teacher-antecedent interventions for promoting reciprocal social interaction of autistic preschoolers.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19(1), 59–71.
32.
OdomS. L., StrainP. S., KargerM. A., & SmithJ. D. (1986). Using single and multiple peers to promote social interaction of preschool children with handicaps.Journal of the Division of Early Childhood, 10, 53–64.
33.
OdomS. L., & WattsE. (1987). Cross setting generalization of autistic preschool children's social interaction in peer-initiation intervention. Manuscript to be submitted for publication.
34.
Perret-ClermontA. N. (1980). Social interaction and cognitive development in children.European Monographs in Social Psychology.London: Academic Press.
35.
PiagetJ. (1926). The language and thought of the child.London: Routledge & Kegen Paul.
36.
RickelA. V., EshelmanA. K., & LoigmanG. A. (1983). Social problem-solving training: A follow-up study of cognitive and behavioral effects.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 15–28.
37.
RidleyC. A., & VaughnS. R. (1982). The effects of a preschool problem-solving program on interpersonal behavior.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3, 177–180.
38.
RoffM. (1961). Childhood social interactions and young adult bad conduct.Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, 63, 333–337.
39.
RoffM., SellsB., & GoldenM. M. (1972). *SST2Social adjustment and personality in children.Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
40.
SharpK. C. (1981). Impact of interpersonal problem-solving training on preschoolers' social competency.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 2, 129–143.
41.
ShoresR. E., HesterP., & StrainP. S. (1976). The effects of amount and type of teacher-child interaction on child-child interaction during freeplay.Psychology in the Schools, 13, 171–175.
42.
SpivakG., & ShureM. B. (1974). Social adjustment of young children: A cognitive approach to solving real-life problems.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
43.
StonemanZ., CantrellM. L., & Hoover-DempseyK. (1983). The association between play materials and social behavior in a mainstreamed preschool: A naturalistic investigation.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 4, 163–174.
44.
StokesT. F., & OsnesP. G. (1987). Programing generalizaton of children's social behavior. In StrainP., GuralnickM., & WalkerH. (Eds.), Children's social behavior: Development, assessment, and intervention (pp. 408–443). New York: Academic Press.
45.
StrainP. S. (1977). An experimental analysis of peer social initiations on the behavior of withdrawn preschool children: Some training and generalization effects.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 5, 445–455.
46.
StrainP. S. (1983). Generalization of autistic children's social behavior change: Effects of developmentally integrated and segregated settings.Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 3, 23–34.
47.
StrainP. S. (1984). Social interaction of handicapped preschoolers in developmentally integrated and segregated settings: A study of generalization effects. In FieldT. (Ed.), Friendship between normally developing and handicapped children (pp. 187–208). Chicago: Society for Research in Child Development.
48.
StrainP. S., CookeT. P., & ApolloniT. A. (1976). Teaching exceptional children: Assessing and modifying social behavior.New York: Academic Press.
49.
StrainP. S., & FoxJ. J. (1981). Peer social initiations and the modification of social withdrawal: A review and future perspective.Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 6, 417–433.
50.
StrainP. S., & KohlerF. W. (in press). Social skill intervention with young handicapped children. In OdomS., & KarnesM. (Eds.), Research in early childhood special education.Paul Brookes Publishing.
51.
StrainP. S., & OdomS. L. (1986). Peer social initiations: Effective intervention for social skill development of exceptional children.Exceptional Children, 52, 543–552.
52.
StrainP. S., OdomS. L., & McConnellS. R. (1984). Promoting social reciprocity of exceptional children: Identification, target behavior selection, and intervention.Remedial and Special Education, 5, 526–531.
53.
StrainP. S., ShoresR. E., & KerrM. M. (1976). An experimental analysis of “spillover” effects on the social interaction of behaviorally handicapped preschool children.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 9, 31–40.
54.
StrainP. S., ShoresR. E., & TimmM. (1977). Effects of peer social initiations on the behavior of withdrawn preschool children.Journal of Appplied Behavior Analysis, 10, 289–298.
55.
StrainP. S., & TimmM. (1974). An experimental analysis of social interaction between a behaviorally disordered preschool child and her classroom peers.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7(4), 583–590.
56.
StrainP. S., & WeigerinkR. (1976). The effects of sociodramatic activities on social interaction among behaviorally disordered preschool children.Journal of Special Education, 10, 71–75.
57.
TimmM., StrainP. S., & EllerP. (1979). Effects of systematic response dependent fading and thinning procedures on the maintenance of child-child interaction.Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12(2), 308.
58.
TremblayA., StrainP. S., HendricksonJ. M., & ShoresR. E. (1981). Social interactions of normal preschool children.Behavior Modification, 5, 237–253.
59.
TwardoszS., NordquistV. M., SimonR., & BotkinD. (1983). The effect of group affection activities on the interaction of socially isolate children.Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 13, 311–338.
60.
UllmanC. A. (1957). Teachers, peers, and tests as predictors of adjustment.Journal of Educational Psychology, 48, 257–267.
61.
VaughnS. R., & RidleyC. A. (1983). A preschool interpersonal problem-solving program: Does it affect behavior in the classroom?Child Study Journal, 13, 1–12.
62.
VaughnS. R., RidleyC. A., & BullockD. D. (1984). Interpersonal problem-solving skills training with aggressive young children.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 5, 213–223.
63.
WestD. J., & FarringtonD. P. (1973). Who becomes delinquent?London: Heineman Press.
64.
WolfeV. V., BoydL. A., & WolfeD. A. (1983). Teaching cooperative play to behavior problem preschool children.Education and Treatment of Children, 6(1), 1–9.
