Building social communication skills in head start children using storybooks: The effects of prompting on social interactions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a prompt versus no prompt condition in combination with a peer-directed intervention package that targeted children with low language or behavior problems. The current study (a) tested two conditions of a multi-component intervention package to increase social interaction between peers, and (b) evaluated which condition of the intervention increased the use of positive verbalizations, social pragmatic strategies, and specific language forms. An alternating treatments design was used to compare the two variations of the intervention. Results of the study indicated no differential effects between the prompt and no prompt conditions. While the study does not add to the literature supporting the use of prompts in social interaction, results comparing baseline to intervention performance show promise for improving preschoolers' social communication skills.