Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Mary V. Kealy
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
child development, communication skills, early childhood education, integrated early childhood setting, parent education, parent support programs, parents, paraprofessional staff development, paraprofessionals, peer coaching, peer interaction, play skills, preschool children, preschoolers, professional development, sensory-based play, sensory experiences, sensory integration, sensory integration dysfunction, sensory integrative principles, social engagement, social interaction skills, social skills, typically developing peers
Abstract
Parents and paraprofessionals have a limited ability to affect preschoolers positively with sensory integration dysfunction ability to socially integrate with their typically developing peers. Lack of professional development for the early childhood staff, limited parent education and support programs, and limited understanding of sensory integration are contributing factors which place preschoolers with sensory integration at risk for social skills deficits. This applied dissertation proposed to increase social interaction skills among preschoolers with sensory integration dysfunction in order to enhance their participation with typically developing peers in the integrated early childhood setting.
The writer used a parent education and support program and a paraprofessional staff development program during implementation to facilitate the theoretical and practical applications of sensory integrative principles and child development. In addition, the writer modeled lessons and engaged in peer coaching within the natural context of the learning environment. Paraprofessionals and parents developed an appreciation of child development and the means to integrate sensory-based play into the learning environment.
An analysis of the data revealed that with the use of regularly scheduled sensory-based play activities children with sensory integration dysfunction demonstrated an improvement in their social skills, communication skills, and play skills, thus increasing their ability to socially engage with their typically developing peer models in the early childhood setting.