The goal of this project is to develop and implement a social skills intervention that fosters friendships between children with autism and their neurotypical peers.
In recent years, autism research has begun a gradual shift towards the neurodiversity model of disability. This means that we view autistic traits as differences, rather than deficits. In addition, we have incorporated input and opinions from autistic individuals to ensure that the interventions are beneficial to them. My hope is for my dissertation research to align with this model.
I am looking to recruit schools and programs that are interested in using a Literacy Based Behavioral Intervention (LBBI) to promote friendship development between K-5 students with and without autism. Participants will read a story about how to collaborate with peers who may communicate differently than they do, and then they complete an activity together.
If you are interested or have any questions, please email spepkin@umd.edu.