Coaching Teachers to Promote Social Interactions With Toddlers

Abstract

Children with or at risk of disabilities engage in fewer and less complex social interactions (SIs) than their typically developing peers. The playground is an ideal setting for teachers to promote SIs among children. However, few studies have examined practical and meaningful strategies for supporting teachers in effectively facilitating SIs. Also, there is a critical dearth of research examining classroom practices for infants and toddlers. A single-case multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief training and email performance feedback on toddler teachers’ SI prompts on the playground. Results indicated functional relations between training plus general and specific feedback, teachers’ use of SI prompts, and levels of child SIs.