Long Zi (Group A)

Case 1

(i) the intervention

Speech impairment and communication difficulties, thereby leading to behavioral and social difficulties.
Focus of intervention: Peer interactions (develop and promote Annie’s peer-related social competence)
Area of Intervention: Peer-mediated intervention (Buddy Skills Package)
Three peer-mediated strategies: Stay, Play and Talk.

(ii) its effectiveness (as reported in the journal article)

A study was conducted to examine the effects of the Buddy Skills System on the social interactions between a preschooler with autism and six of her typically developing peers. This was done through experimental sessions – the children participated in a 10 minutes play sessions on 3 days per week, buddy skills training and intervention. Her six peers were divided into three groups such that each buddy group consisted of her and two peers. Each training session consists the girl with autism and two peers, and her peers were taught and prompted to use the strategies Stay, Play and Talk when interacting with her. After training, each group participated in a social skills intervention to practice and reinforce what they had learnt from the training sessions.
Results:
Produced immediate and large increases in frequency of children’s social overtures. In particular, the girl with autism had also directed more overtures to her peers even without direct teacher support.
Increase in children’s involvement in social interactions.
Increase in length of reciprocal interactions involving all three children in the group.

(iii) your personal evaluation how the child will benefit from this intervention

Personally I feel that the Buddy Skills Package proactively helps to support Annie’s development of social competence. Peers play a major and crucial role in a child’s social world, thus they can and should be involved in intervention activities in which they provide an invaluable platform for typically developing children to gain awareness on peers around them who have diverse needs, as well as to improve their perceptions and acceptance of these peers. Hence, I believe that with the Buddy Skills Package, it will help to increase Annie’s social interactions, and through these interactions she will gradually learn how to express herself appropriately through words and/or actions. Though this study was done for a preschooler with autism, the approach could be adapted for children with other diverse needs.

(iv) your suggestions how you can make adjustments to cater to the needs of the
child and to facilitate integration of the child / the intervention activity into
your classroom.

As what the researchers of Buddy Skills Package have suggested, I would assign 2 peers to Annie for each buddy group. I would then plan and arrange for activities that provide varied opportunities for social interactions. Likewise, the Buddy Skills Package should not be limited to only certain specific class activities, it can be embedded daily, throughout the time Annie is in school. Besides, before I introduced the Buddy Skills system to the class, I would conduct an in-class discussion with the use of social stories to set the stage for all children to understand, accommodate and accept their friends for who they are, as well as to work co-operatively in groups. This will better prepare the children and Annie for the Buddy Skills system.

Reference:
Highnam, C., Kohler, F.W., Greteman, C., and Raschke, D. (2007). Using a buddy skills package to increase the social interactions between a preschooler with Autism and her peers.
Retrieved September 10, 2009, from http://web.ebscohost.com.libwww3.np.edu.sg/ehost/pdf?vid=13&hid=7&sid=66721c35-9902-426c-b3a4-d7e52eadd67f%40sessionmgr11