Abstract
Many young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience difficulty in
the development of communication skills. Teaching peers to make use of communication
support behaviors has been investigated as a strategy to increase communication for
young children with ASD in early childhood settings. The purpose of this systematic
review was to examine (1) the overall effects of peer support interventions on the
communication of young children with ASD and (2) any possible moderating variables
related to participant and intervention characteristics. The social support model
was used as a framework for the study of intervention components. Eighteen single-case
experimental design studies (48 children with ASD) met the inclusion criteria and
were advanced to the full coding and analysis phase of the investigation. Descriptive
analyses and effect size estimations using the improvement rate difference (IRD) metric
were conducted. Overall, peer support interventions were found to be effective across
a range of young children with ASD and intervention approaches. Evidence was also
identified for the use of the social support model as a framework to guide the development
of peer interventions in early childhood settings. The use of friendship groups, the
selection of play materials based on the interests of the child with ASD, and the
provision of augmentative and alternative communication appeared to be associated
with positive communication outcomes.
Keywords
children with ASD - peer support interventions - communication - early childhood
