The Examination of an Education Program to Improve Peer Relationships of the Autistic Children Integrated In Classrooms

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the effectiveness of an education program in order to
increase the social acceptance, adaptation and peer relationships of children with autism integrated in first
degree classrooms. The independent variable of the research is the “education program” and the independent
variables are “social acceptance of peers, their adaptational process through schooling and the social behaviors
based on teachers and peers. The data were collected by the quantitative and qualitative methods. During the
collection of the data, Sociometric and Social Acceptance Scale, Teachers Form, and Personal Information Form
were used. The data obtained from the research showed that, the educational program which designed to
develop the peer relationships was effective on the peer acceptance and the social sufficiency of the students
with autism, helping them to adjust themselves to the school by showing corresponding behaviours. In
accordance with the data derived from the research, further investigations and applications were also
suggested