Examining Paraprofessional Interventions to Increase Social Communication for Young Children With ASD
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
Mrachko, A. A., & Kaczmarek, L. A. (2017).
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 37(1), 4-15.
This systematic review investigates the effects of trained paraprofessional-mediated social communication interventions on social communication outcomes in young children (aged 0-8) on the autism spectrum.
No funding received
Not stated
Peer-reviewed studies (not otherwise described)
7
Findings reported that pivotal response treatment had the most evidence of effectiveness for paraprofessional training outcomes and child social communication outcomes.
Five of the seven included studies indicated a relationship between increased paraprofessional fidelity of the intervention and improved social communication in children. Those five studies investigated one of the following social communication interventions:
<ul>
<li>Pivotal Response Treatment;</li>
<li>Natural Language Paradigm; and/or</li>
<li>Mand training.</li>
</ul>
