ORIGINAL PAPER A Review of the Quality of Behaviorally-Based Intervention Research to Improve Social Interaction Skills of Children with ASD in Inclusive Settings Sı ´glia Pimentel Ho ¨her Camargo • Mandy Rispoli • Jennifer Ganz • Ee Rea Hong • Heather Davis • Rose Mason Published online: 30 April 2014 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often have difficulties in social interaction skills, which may prevent their successful inclusion in general education placements. Behaviorally-based social skills interventions have been shown to be effective in attenuat- ing such difficulties in these environments. In light of the increasing number of children with ASD being educated in inclusive settings and requirements for the use of research- based interventions in schools, this paper (1) analyzes the quality of single-case research using behaviorally-based interventions to improve social interaction skills of chil- dren with ASD in inclusive settings and (2) evaluates whether such interventions can be considered an evidence- based practice. Characteristics and components of the interventions are summarized, and their implications for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords ASD Á Social skills Á Behavioral interventions Á Inclusive education Á Single-case research Á Quality analysis Introduction Inclusion of children with disabilities has been interna- tionally accepted as an educational practice, leading many countries to refine their educational policies to ensure participation of all children in schools (Harrower 1999). Thus, an increasing number of students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), are being educated in inclusive settings around the world (Koegel et al. 2012a; Owen-DeSchryver et al. 2008). In the United States, federal mandates [Individuals with Disabil- ities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004; No Child Left Behind Act (NCBL) of 2001] require that children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment (Yell 2006; Yell and Shriner 1996). In 2008, 95 % of students with disabilities (ages 3–21), received educational services in general education classrooms (US Department of Edu- cation 2011) and the number of students with ASD in general education classrooms increases every year (Leach 2010). Present Address: S. P. H. Camargo (&) Faculdade de Educac ¸a ˜o, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Alberto Rosa, 154, Porto, Pelotas, RS CEP: 96010-770, Brazil e-mail: sigliahoher@yahoo.com.br S. P. H. Camargo Á M. Rispoli Á J. Ganz Á E. R. Hong Á H. Davis Á R. Mason Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA e-mail: mrispoli@tamu.edu J. Ganz e-mail: jeniganz@tamu.edu E. R. Hong e-mail: ghdeerea@neo.tamu.edu H. Davis e-mail: heatherstepdavis@gmail.com R. Mason e-mail: rosemason519@gmail.com Present Address: M. Rispoli Á J. Ganz Á E. R. Hong Á H. Davis Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA Present Address: R. Mason Juniper Garden Children’s Project, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA 123 J Autism Dev Disord (2014) 44:2096–2116 DOI 10.1007/s10803-014-2060-7