Stay, Play, and Talk is a peer-mediated approach for preschoolers that involves teaching peers how to interact with children with social challenges, and teaching social skills to those who may need additional instruction. The power of peers has tremendous impact, and this approach allows children to learn age-appropriate skills that occur in natural settings. Originally developed as the Buddy Skills Training Program, that taught buddy skills to preschool-age children (English, Shafer, Goldstein, & Kaczmarek, 1997). Several studies have been published subsequently that examined the effectiveness of this procedure in the literature. 

As a result of children beginning school at young ages and children being included in daycares at similar ages, intervention strategies are needed to enhance social communication skills in inclusive settings.  Stay, Play, and Talk is an example of an evidence-based peer-mediated intervention. This peer-mediated social skills intervention program designed to use with children with ASD and other social challenges and their peers.

Children in the classrooms are all taught diversity training and then how to Stay, Play, and Talk with their friends. Through each lesson hands-on activities are provided so that they can practice the skills. Adults are trained how to prompt through peers for them to generalize these strategies in the natural environment and utilize towards those with social communication issues. 

This project began in 2011 involving both staff and faculty members from All Kids Belong, Fanshawe College, and Thames Valley Children’s Centre to develop a hands-on, user-friendly manual for educators (All Kids Belong et al., 2011). The research project is currently recently completed its fourth phase and involved faculty, staff, and students from Brock University, the University of Guelph, Fanshawe College, and the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB). Currently in its fifth phase of research, the implementation in inclusive child care and school settings has had enormous implications. 

Fanshawe College brings expertise around childhood development, best practices in adult learning and online training, and experience in research and evaluation.

Thames Valley Children’s Centre, a rehabilitation centre in London, provides expertise, knowledge, and training about children and youth with disabilities.

 

All Kids Belong, a part of Merrymount Children's Centre, brings extensive knowledge of childcare centres and including children with special needs in their community childcare centre.

English, K., Goldstein, H., Shafer, K., & Kaczmarek, L. (1997). Promoting interactions among preschoolers with and without disabilities: effects of a buddy skills- training program. Exceptional Children, 63(2), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440299706300206