Utilizing Teaching Interactions to Facilitate Social Skills in the Natural Environment

Abstract

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder often display deficits in social skills. While research has shown behavioral interventions to be effective in teaching and/or increasing a variety of appropriate social skills, limited research has shown generalization of these skills to the natural setting. The Teaching Interaction procedure was used to teach social skills to four children with autism. In addition, a fifth participant was utilized; this participant did not receive the Teaching Interaction intervention, and was utilized as a control. Results indicated the Teaching Interaction procedure was effective in teaching new appropriate social skills, of different topographies, that generalized to untrained social interactions in the participants' natural environment.