Setting
The setting of the study was an elementary school in a large
metropolitan city in the southeast United States. The
school’s demographic composition was as follows: 33.2%
African American, 23.3% White, 32.6% Hispanic, 1.6%
Asian, and 9.3% other. Approximately 74% of the students
were considered “economically disadvantaged.” All participants
received the majority of their instruction in a selfcontained
special education classroom, with a total of six
students with autism in second through fifth grades, one
special educator, and one paraprofessional. The participants
attended special area classes, such as computer, art, and
music with their same-age, typically developing peers. All
science lessons took place at a large rectangular table in the
back corner of the mobile unit, where all group work sessions
were held.