Preparing Preschoolers with Autism for School: Social Scaffolding as a Means to Increasing School Readiness

• In Event: The Role of Early Social Scaffolding in Atypical Development.

Abstract

School readiness (SR) depends on skills that promote learning successes during the school-age years and include emotional and behavioral self-regulation, self-help, and relationship skills (Snow, 2006). Importantly, successful transition into school predicts higher likelihood of success throughout the school-age years and beyond (Burt & Roisman, 2010). However, many preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant difficulties with SR skills. Specifically, difficulties in domains that can impede SR among young children with ASD include emotional and behavioral self-regulation (Marsh et al.,2017) and executive functioning (EF) skills (Pellicano et al., 2017). However, adult social and emotional scaffolding for young children can contribute meaningfully to SR among typically developing children (Ruberry et al., 2018), and can positively affect EF skill development in preschoolers with ASD, as well (Escolano-Perez et al., 2019).

Parent implemented intervention is key to facilitating early learning among preschoolers with ASD in terms of cognitive, language, and social development (McConachie & Diggle, 2007; Stahmer et al., 2017; Strauss et al., 2013), as parents provide the first learning context for their children. Central to many such evidence-based interventions are behavioral and social learning theories. In this paper presentation, principles of social and behavioral learning theories will be discussed as a framework for promoting critical skills necessary for school readiness among very young children with ASD. Specific strategies that can be used to facilitate autistic preschoolers’ preparation for entry into formal schooling will be overviewed, with consideration of applicability to researchers’ use of similar strategies in maximizing data collection within their studies focused on preschoolers with ASD. Importantly, young children from marginalized racial, ethnic, linguistic, and/or socioeconomic groups are at greater risk of poor SR (Isaacs, 2012; Raver et al., 2007). However, families from marginalized groups are consistently underrepresented in research focused upon ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders (Bishop-Fitzpatrick & Kind, 2017), contributing to the ongoing disparities in access to ASD diagnostic and treatment services (Angell et al., 2018). Likewise, autistic preschoolers from marginalized groups are doubly vulnerable to inadequate SR and at elevated risk of poor long-term outcomes in schooling and beyond. With these considerations in mind, this paper presentation will integrate cultural considerations for partnering with parents and other adult stakeholders when implementing social scaffolding strategies that have the potential to promote SR among autistic preschoolers.

Authors

• Sarah S. Mire, Baylor University
  Presenting Author

• Anna Laakman