This Perspectives (SIG 1) forum focuses on the treatment of young children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The first article examines the effects of parent-mediated intervention on the spoken language of young children. The second article focuses on an embedded teacher-implemented social communication intervention for preschoolers. The third article examined peer mediated augmentative and alternative communication for young minimally verbal children. The final article reported on social communication predictors of successful inclusion experiences for students with autism in an early childhood lab school.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• explain why children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for atypical language development relative to their social communication abilities
• describe the core communication-related impairments of ASD
• describe peer-mediated and direct instruction approaches to improve social communication between preschool children with ASD and peers without disabilities
• describe social communication milestones that promote classroom active engagement of students with ASD