What is the practice?
Peer-assisted instruction/support occurs when a same-aged general education peer works as a partner with a student with a disability. Peers are recommended by their teachers to participate in the peer-assisted instruction/support opportunity. General education peers partake in a training that allows them to better understand the student they will be working with, learn expectations, and learn ways to support the student in various class activities. Throughout the class, the peer assists the student with a disability in engaging in social interactions by using the instructional/support strategies that they learned in the training.
Where has it been implemented?
- School settings (i.e., general education academic classroom, resource classroom, library, hallways, school courtyard, classroom, and cafeteria; 3 studies)
- Inclusive elective courses (1 study)
Where is the best place to find out how to do this practice?
Related Lesson Starter
References used to establish this evidence base:
- Carter, E. W., Asmus, J., Moss, C. K., Biggs, E. E., Bolt, D. M., Born, T. L., Brock, M. E., Cattey, G. N., Chen, R., Cooney, M., Fesperman, E., Hochman, J. M., Huber, H. B., Lequia, J. L., Lyons, G., Moyseenko, K. A., Riesch, L. M., Shalev, R. A., Vincent, L. B., & Weir, K. (2016). Randomized evaluation of peer support arrangements to support the inclusion of high school students with severe disabilities. Exceptional Children, 82(2), 209-233. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402915598780
- Carter, E. W., Gustafson, J. R., Sreckovic, M. A., Dykstra Steinbrenner, J. R., Pierce, N. P., Bord, A., Stabel, A., Rogers, S., Czerw, A., & Mullins, T. (2017). Efficacy of peer support interventions in general education classrooms for high school students with autism spectrum disorder. Remedial and Special Education, 38(4), 207-221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932516672067
- Carter, E. W., Moss, C. K., Hoffman, A., Chung, Y.-C., & Sisco, L. (2011). Efficacy and social validity of peer support arrangements for adolescents with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 78(1), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291107800107
- Reilly, C., Hughes, C., Harvey, M., Brigham, N., Cosgriff, J., Kaplan, L., & Bernstein R. (2014). “Let’s talk!”: Increasing novel peer-directed questions by high school students with autism to their general education peers. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 49(2), 214–231.
