The training and generalization of social interaction skills with autistic youth.

Three autistic youths learned to start and keep peer chats.

Trainers paired each target skill with a fun item: a radio, a video game, or gum.

Sessions happened during free time. Staff used modeling, practice, and praise.

All three youths began talking to peers on their own.

They kept the new skills with new peers and new places.

The leisure items stayed part of the fun, not a crutch.

Hui Shyuan Ng et al. (2016) later added a clearer teaching script and showed the same gains last for weeks.

Mueller et al. (2000) swapped the single peer for a whole class of trained peer tutors and still saw big jumps in social bids.

Roscoe et al. (2024) used the same radio and game items, but aimed only at solo play, not talking. Their positive result shows the items themselves are strong motivators.

LeGoff (2004) built a LEGO club instead of loose items; social gains were large, proving the toy medium matters less than the peer fun.

You can copy this Monday. Pick a highly preferred item your learner already reaches for. Teach one peer to invite play with that item. Model the invite, let your learner practice, then step back. Keep the item available during recess or lunch so the new talk spreads to new kids without extra staff.