Increasing Social Interactions of Preschool Children with Autism through Cooperative Outdoor Play
Ziegler, Sonja M. T.; Morrier, Michael J. (2022). Journal of Special Education, v56 n1 p49-60. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1342390
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examining9Students, gradePK
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: March 2026
- Single Study Review (findings for Buddy Game)
- Single Case Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it is a SCD design where the independent variable is manipulated by the researcher, each outcome is measured systematically over time by multiple assessors with a sufficient number of assessment points and inter-assessor agreement, but there are an insufficient number of phases and/or assessments per phase to meet without reservations.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
To view more detailed information about the study findings from this review, please download findings data here.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Female: 33%
Male: 67% -
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Georgia
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Race Black 44% Other or unknown 22% White 33% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 11% Not Hispanic or Latino 89% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place on the playground outside of an early child development center in Atlanta, Georgia. Nine target students from three classrooms (pre-kindergarten, early preschool, and preschool) participated in the intervention.
Study sample
Nine preschool students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from three classrooms participated in the study and were observed individually during sessions. Fifteen adults implemented the intervention, including 8 lead teachers and 7 assistants.
Intervention Group
The Buddy Game was implemented in 15-minute sessions during the classroom's 45-minute outdoor recess period. The intervention consisted of child dyads singing songs with gestures and movements in a large group setting. Before recess, student names were randomly chosen from a bucket to form "buddy" dyads, pairing students with ASD and peers with neurotypical development (NTD). A "Buddy Board," which was taken outside during recess, displayed the pairs' names to remind children of their assigned buddies. A lead teacher and multiple assistant teachers were present on the playground during the sessions. Once they were outside, a teacher told the children it was time to play the game and to find their buddy. Children chose the songs from a selection of cards with the song's title and pictorial depiction. The child who chose each song card was chosen at random by the lead teacher. The lead teacher then directed students with ASD to stand in front of their buddies so they could dance and sing together. Teachers provided support to any child who needed assistance to stand in front of their buddy by gently guiding them into position. Teachers then stood out of sight, behind the children, so that the children paid attention to other participants. If students shifted their position, they were not prompted to return to the original formation. The intervention lasted four sessions for the pre-kindergarten classroom, eight sessions for early preschool classroom, and six sessions for preschool classroom.
Comparison Group
There is no comparison group in single-case designs. Baseline sessions took place during 15-minute periods of the classroom's 45-minute recess period. During baseline, one lead teacher and at least two assistant teachers facilitated different zones of the playground. Teachers were instructed not to teach or prompt any interactions between children, and students were free to engage in any available outdoor activity. There were five baseline sessions for the pre-kindergarten classroom, nine sessions for the early preschool classroom, and 16 sessions for the preschool classroom.
Support for implementation
Interventionists received training from the first study author, who explained the intervention and shared procedural fidelity checklists as visual learning supports. Training included role playing, both inside and outside the classroom, and lasted until all interventionists stated they were comfortable and confident with the procedures.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).