The effects of novel task demonstration by elementary school students with disabilities on social interactions with peers

Studies have shown that various strategies have been used to help students develop positive social relationships with their peers. These include, but are not limited to, directly teaching social skills, teaching peers to initiate positive social interactions with children who have social skills deficits, and developing activities that help foster positive interactions with these children and their peers. Although many studies have shown that children with social adjustment difficulties can succeed if given assistance, few studies seek to find out how students with social interaction difficulties can develop new ways of communicating with their peers at recess. The present study will extend the previous research by assessing whether a student can enhance their communication skills while demonstrating a particular skill to his/her peers. Students will be taught to juggle and demonstrate this skill to peers. This study will attempt to answer the following research questions: Will the demonstration of juggling skills increase the student's existing communication methods with their peers? Would peers respond to him/her differently than before she had this skill?