RESULTS A review of these studies showed that children with ASD are less school ready emotionally than their peers and those children with ASD appear to have more externalising behaviours and self-regulation difficulties that affect their school engagement and their relationships with their teachers .
There was a paucity of research looking at interventions targeting school readiness .
However , school-based behavioural interventions appear to improve cognitive , language and daily living skills , but have less impact on socialisation and peer inclusion .
CONCLUSION Children with ASD face more challenges transitioning to school , particularly with social interaction .
AIM To identify factors that promote a positive start to school for children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) .
Social involvement of children with autism spectrum disorders in elementary school classrooms.
BACKGROUND Children with autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ) are increasingly included in general education classrooms in an effort to improve their social involvement . METHODS Seventy-nine children with ASD and 79 r and omly selected , gender-matched peers ( 88.6 % male ) in 75 early ( K-1 ) , middle ( 2nd-3rd ) , and late ( 4th-5th ) elementary classrooms across 30 schools completed social network surveys  examining each child 's reciprocal friendships , peer rejection , acceptance , and social involvement . RESULTS Across grade levels , peers less frequently reciprocated friendships with children with ASD than students in the matched sample . While children with ASD were not more likely to be rejected by peers , they were less accepted and had fewer reciprocal friendships than matched peers at each grade level . Although 48.1 % of children with ASD were involved in the social networks of their classrooms , children with ASD were more likely to be isolated or peripheral to social relationships within the classroom across all grade levels , and this difference is even more dramatic in later elementary grade s. CONCLUSIONS In inclusive classrooms , children with ASD are only involved in peers ' social relationships about half of the time , and appear to be even less connected with increasing grade level . Promoting children with ASD 's skills in popular activities to share with peers in early childhood may be a key preventive intervention to protect social relationships in late elementary school grade
RESULTS A review of these studies showed that children with ASD are less school ready emotionally than their peers and those children with ASD appear to have more externalising behaviours and self-regulation difficulties that affect their school engagement and their relationships with their teachers .
There was a paucity of research looking at interventions targeting school readiness .
However , school-based behavioural interventions appear to improve cognitive , language and daily living skills , but have less impact on socialisation and peer inclusion .
CONCLUSION Children with ASD face more challenges transitioning to school , particularly with social interaction .
AIM To identify factors that promote a positive start to school for children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) .