Communication is an essential skill that develops in early childhood and links to later academic and social success. However, some children, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), struggle to develop sufficient social communication skills and may require speech language therapy and targeted support from educators to achieve functional communication. Unfortunately, educators, including teachers and paraeducators, may have limited knowledge and skills to best support the social communication needs of students with ASD. Therefore, this article introduces a research-based strategy, POWR: Prepare, Offer, Wait, and Respond, that can be used by educators and peers to effectively enhance the social communication development of students with ASD. Research support and detailed guidelines regarding how communication partners (e.g., teachers, paraeducators, peers) can implement the POWR strategy are included.
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