Recess is time-in: using peers to improve social skills of children with autism.
Train typical peers to deliver PRT prompts at recess and watch kids with autism start more games right away.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two elementary students with autism played at recess with trained peers. The peers learned to give PRT prompts: wait for the child to try, then reward any social move.
The study used a multiple-baseline design. Each child started peer recess sessions on a different day to show the change came from the intervention.
What they found
Both kids began starting more games and taking turns. Social initiations and turn-taking went up when peers delivered PRT at recess.
The gains stayed while the recess routine kept running. No extra adults were needed once peers knew the steps.
How this fits with other research
Stewart et al. (2018) ran a larger RCT of the same recess idea. They found large gains and replaced the 2008 trends with solid effect sizes. Their study now guides schools because it used staff to train peers and added a wait-list control.
Ashley et al. (2025) copied the recess plan with one child. Talk went up, but play skills stayed flat. This warns us that peer PRT boosts communication yet may need extra supports for full play success.
Bradshaw et al. (2017) moved PRT even younger. Parents gave PRT to toddlers at home and saw early language and social jumps. The peer-recess model works; parent delivery widens the age span.
Why it matters
You can raise social initiations on the playground tomorrow. Pick two typical peers, teach them to wait, prompt, and praise, then let recess run. Check Stewart et al. (2018) for a staff-training script if you need board approval. Watch for talk gains first; add play scripts later if free-play stays low.
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Join Free →Choose one recess, pick two peers, model the PRT wait-prompt-praise loop, and tally the child's social starts for the next five days.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children with autism face enormous struggles when attempting to interact with their typically developing peers. More children are educated in integrated settings; however, play skills usually need to be explicitly taught, and play environments must be carefully prepared to support effective social interactions. This study incorporated the motivational techniques of Pivotal Response Training through peer-mediated practice to improve social interactions for children with autism during recess activities. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to assess social skills gains in two elementary school children. The results demonstrated an increase in important social skills, namely social initiations and turn taking, during recess.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2008 · doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0449-2