Using Progressive Time Delay to Increase Levels of Peer Imitation During Play With Preschoolers With Disabilities.
Progressive time delay baked into play teaches preschoolers with disabilities to copy peers, but plan extra peer swaps if you want the skill to travel.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Francis et al. (2020) tested progressive time delay during play. Preschoolers with mixed disabilities took part.
Adults waited longer each day before giving a prompt. They wanted kids to copy peers without help.
What they found
All kids learned to imitate peers with no prompts. The skill held up in new toys, but not always with new peers.
The study showed a clear link between the delay and the new skill.
How this fits with other research
Tavassoli et al. (2012) used the same delay idea, but stretched the gap between trials instead of before a prompt. Both teams saw strong gains in preschool social skills.
Hawkins (1982) also used prompts to boost play in autistic kids, yet gave no delay. The older study needed more adult help to keep the play going.
Wolfberg et al. (2015) ran Integrated Play Groups with no adult prompts at all. Their kids still copied peers in new places. Rachel’s mixed generalization shows you may need extra peer practice after the delay lessons.
Why it matters
You can slip progressive time delay into any play routine. Start with zero-second prompts, then add one second each day. Track when the child beats you to the action. If generalization stalls, pair the new skill with varied peers and toys, just like Pamela’s team did. A short daily play slot can build true peer imitation without tokens or praise.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research suggests peer imitation can be taught using systematic procedures and can be embedded into ongoing play contexts with preschool-age children. However, additional research is needed to test procedures that may increase levels of peer imitation with toddlers with disabilities and in generalized contexts. We used a multiple probe across participants research design to evaluate the effectiveness of progressive time delay (PTD) to teach peer imitation to preschoolers with disabilities during a play activity with a peer. We also examined the efficacy of PTD in a generalized context (i.e., new peers, implementer, and materials). Visual analysis indicated a functional relation between PTD and unprompted peer imitation; however, generalization was variable across participants. Our results support previous research indicating PTD is effective in teaching children with disabilities to imitate their peers.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-125.3.186