The effectiveness of a social and emotional learning curriculum on the peer acceptance attitudes toward children with autism

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is widely used in affective education to reduce negative behaviours and promote positive ones. In inclusive settings, children with autism often struggle with social interactions. This study developed the ‘Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum’ to enhance peer acceptance attitude toward children with autism among Taiwanese 4th to 6th graders. This study used a nonequivalent group pretest-posttest design with 49 students in the experimental group and 60 students in the control group. The experimental group received eight courses from the ‘Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum’. The control group participated in self-directed reading activities. Measures included the Children’s Social-Emotional Learning Scale and the Peer Acceptance Attitude Scale. The results showed that the experimental group showed significantly better performance in social and emotional competence and peer acceptance attitude than the control group. The improvement in acceptance of children with autism was attributed to increased self-awareness and self-management. This study is the first to apply a SEL programme to increase acceptance of children with autism, emphasising the importance of linking the programme to participant’ daily experiences and incorporating after-school practice to foster social-emotional competence. These findings highlight the practical value of SEL and provide important insights in inclusive education.