Visual Supports to Increase Conversation Engagement for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Mealtimes: An Initial Investigation.
One laminated snack card lifted peer conversation for every preschooler with autism tested.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Five preschoolers with autism sat at a snack table. A small card called "Snack Talk" showed pictures of questions and comments.
The teacher flipped the card each day. Sometimes it was there, sometimes removed. The team counted how often each child talked to peers.
This back-and-forth removal is called a reversal design. It shows if the card truly causes the change.
What they found
Every child talked more when the Snack Talk card was on the table. When the card left, talking dropped. When it returned, talking rose again.
The gains stayed even after the study ended.
How this fits with other research
Bateman et al. (2023) ran the same card trick with adults who have IDD. They also saw more talk every time the card appeared. Together the two studies show Snack Talk works from preschool to adult day programs.
Bledsoe et al. (2003) used a Social Story instead of a card. Their teen with Asperger’s improved table manners, not conversation. Same mealtime, different target, so no clash.
Casey et al. (2009) simply watched high-functioning kids with autism at family dinner. They saw low rates of back-and-forth talk. That picture sets the baseline Wilson et al. (2023) improve upon.
Why it matters
You can print and laminate one index card today. Tape it to your snack table and see immediate peer chatter. No extra staff, no tech, no cost. Try it during morning snack, then send the card to lunch or recess. If talk fades, move the card back. The reversal tells you the card is working, not just maturation.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The diversity of children within the preschool classroom is dramatically changing as children with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly included within it. To engage in the benefits of inclusion, social skills are needed. Yet, children with autism commonly experience difficulties in this area. Extant literature indicates that social skills are more successfully acquired when taught through naturalistic and embedded instruction in established routines. A commonly occurring routine in most classroom, home, and community settings is mealtime. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Snack Talk, a visual communication support, for increasing the communication engagement of five preschool children with autism. A reversal design across participants was used to analyze the relation between Snack Talk and conversation engagement. Results from the maintenance probes show that conversation engagement increased across all participants when compared to baseline. Furthermore, a functional relation was established between the teaching phase (baseline and intervention data collection phases) and the maintenance phase. Limitations and directions for further research are also discussed.
Journal of early intervention, 2023 · doi:10.1177/1053815111429970