Effects of Peer Support Arrangements Across Instructional Formats and Environments for Students With Severe Disabilities

Peer support arrangements are an evidence-based practice for increasing interactions between students with severe disabilities and their peers in general education classrooms, but it is unclear how interactions vary across instructional formats or generalize outside the classroom. In this single-cas...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remedial and special education 2018-01, Vol.39 (1), p.3-14
Main Authors: Schaefer, John M., Cannella-Malone, Helen, Brock, Matthew E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement Tests
Adjustment (to Environment)
Autism
Behavior Rating Scales
Child Behavior
Children
Classrooms
Cognitive Ability
Cognitive Tests
Educational Environment
Efficacy
Evidence Based Practice
General education
Generalization
Intellectual disabilities
Intellectual Disability
Intelligence Tests
Interaction
Interaction Process Analysis
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal Competence
Learning disabilities
Middle School Students
Middle schools
Observation
Peer Influence
Peer Mediation
Peer tutoring
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Positive Behavior Supports
Rating Scales
Severe Disabilities
Social interaction
Special education
Students with disabilities
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Summary:Peer support arrangements are an evidence-based practice for increasing interactions between students with severe disabilities and their peers in general education classrooms, but it is unclear how interactions vary across instructional formats or generalize outside the classroom. In this single-case design study, we tested the efficacy of peer support arrangements with three middle school students with severe disabilities, and focused on variability across instructional formats and generalization to the cafeteria and recess yard. We replicated previous findings of increased interactions and extended the literature by demonstrating positive effects across instructional formats with the largest gains during small group instruction and independent work time. We found no evidence of generalization; interactions only increased in nonclassroom settings after we directly targeted those settings. We recommend educators to implement peer support arrangements in general education classrooms, increase opportunities for small group instruction when appropriate, and purposefully target social interactions across settings.
ISSN:0741-9325
1538-4756
DOI:10.1177/0741932517727865