Effects of the System of Least Prompts on Pretend Play Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Engagement in strong play skills is important as an outcome by itself, but also as means to achieve other valued outcomes in early childhood development. Yet, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate challenges in this area of development. To address these challenges, intervention is needed. This study evaluated the effects of implementation of an antecedent-based teaching strategy, the system of least prompts (SLP), to teach pretend play skills to preschoolers diagnosed with ASD in an inclusive preschool program. This study utilized single case research design to identify the effects of intervention on pretend play skills. Data presented in this study demonstrated independent engagement in generalized pretend play skills during free choice. Results suggest that this intervention was an effective teaching strategy for young children with ASD, demonstrating effects for all participants.