Many studies have shown that small-group direct instruction is effective and efficient for teaching students with and without disabilities, although relatively few studies have been conducted with heterogeneous groups of preschool participants. In addition, previous studies have primarily assessed whether observational learning occurred for…

The authors describe an intervention for 3 preschoolers with disabilities who had low peer-related social competence. The intervention taught academic skills tailored to the need of each target student in small groups (triads) with two typically developing peers, using a progressive time delay procedure. Prior to instruction and separate from the…

The effectiveness of 3 early teaching interventions (applied behavior analysis [ABA], special nursery placement, and portage) for children with autism spectrum disorder was studied in a community-based sample over 10 months. Measures of autism severity as well as intellectual, educational, and adaptive behavioral function were administered. In…

Two highly contrasting models of preschool education for mildly handicapped children were compared. Direct Instruction led to greater gains on the Test of Early Language Development and the Basic Language Concepts test. Mediated Learning led to greater gains on the McCarthy Verbal and Memory scales and Mean Length of Utterance measure. (Author/VW)

A constant-time-delay procedure was used to teach a generalized response to the lures of strangers to four preschool children with disabilities. Only after also providing in vivo training did instruction result in acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the response with novel lures, strangers, and sites. (Author/DB)

This paper reviews 31 studies which directly compared two or more instructional strategies used with students who display moderate to severe handicaps. The efficiency and effectiveness of 13 strategies are reported, including error manipulation strategies, response prompting strategies, naturalistic teaching strategies, and stimulus modification…

Examined are the potential contributions of research on social reciprocity to the assessment and remediation of social withdrawal among educationally handicapped preschool children. (Author)

This article discusses knowledge gaps that exist in the instruction of preschoolers with disabilities, in terms of the curriculum content, procedures used to individualize instruction, instructional procedures designed to ensure acquisition, and strategies used to ensure skill use or generalization. Barriers to generating such knowledge and…

This study assessed the judgments of 131 preschool special education teachers on the acceptability, feasibility, and current use of child-specific, peer-mediated, and environmental arrangement intervention strategies for promoting social interaction skills of young children with disabilities. Teachers found all three types of interventions…