Increasing Opportunities for Social Control by Children with Autism and Severe Handicaps: Effects on Student Behavior and Perceived Classroom Climate

Abstract

The present study assessed the effects of an intervention package designed to (a) increase the quality and quantity of opportunities for students with autism and severe handicaps to exercise control over aspects of instructional interactions and to (b) improve aspects of classroom social climate as represented by teacher-student interactions. Results across two classrooms indicated that the intervention was successful in increasing student opportunities for controlling aspects of student-teacher interaction. Increases in both spontaneous and indirectly prompted social/communicative interactions were observed. Independent rating of videotaped interactions by preservice regular and special educators indicated that substantial improvements in classroom social climate were associated with the intervention package. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the design of therapeutic social environments for children with severe social/communicative handicaps.