Implementing Stay, Play, Talk with Children who use AAC

Abstract

Withdrawal and multitreatment single subject research designs were used to evaluate the effectiveness of stay, play, talk (SPT) interventions on the social behaviors with preschool-aged peers to children with disabilities. Each group of children included at least one socially competent peer and one child with Down syndrome who used an AAC device as primary mode of communication. Peers were trained to use SPT strategies during free play sessions. For one group, a modified reinforcement system and modified peer arrangement were introduced to the intervention. Results indicate a functional relation between the original SPT intervention (Group B) or the SPT with modified arrangement (Group A) and percentage of intervals that peers stayed near and played with the children with disabilities. Future research is needed to determine the effectiveness of SPT interventions for children with disabilities with more functional play skills and the utility of creating peer dyads compared to peer triads.