This article addresses some of the key considerations and complexities associated with intervening to address social competence and peer relationships of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in middle and high school settings. First, we provide a brief overview of the social context during adolescence for all students. Next, we highlight particular challenges for adolescents with ASD. Then, we discuss potential school-based intervention pathways that appear particularly responsive to these contexts and challenges. Finally, we offer several recommendations for research and practice aimed at improving the social competence and connections of young people with ASD—during high school and into early adulthood.

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Promoting Social Competence and Peer Relationships for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Existing reviews address important questions about subsets of practitioner training studies in special education but leave important questions about the broader literature unanswered. In this compr...

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Findings across Practitioner Training Studies in Special Education: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis.

Even with inclusive general education classrooms, high school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have few social interactions with classmates. Peer support arrangements hold promise for increasing peer interactions and shared learning within general education classrooms. However, previous evaluations of this intervention have focused narrowly on adolescents with severe intellectual disability. In this pilot study, we examined the impact and social validity of peer support arrangements for four high school students with ASD. All four students increased their social interactions with peers, while academic engagement either increased or maintained for three students. Social validity data from peer partners and students indicated they considered the intervention acceptable. We discuss limitations and offer recommendations for future research and practice aimed at enhancing social connections within inclusive classrooms.

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Efficacy of Peer Support Interventions in General Education Classrooms for High School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

T EA C H IN G E xc ep ti on al C hi ld re n , V ol . 48 , N o. 1 , pp . 9 – 18 . C op yr ig ht 2 01 5 T he A ut ho r( s) . D O I: 1 0. 11 77 /0 04 00 59 91 55 94 78 4 Ensuring students with severe disabilities access the rich relationship and learning opportunities available within general education classrooms is an important—but challenging— endeavor. Although one-to-one paraprofessionals often accompany students in inclusive classrooms and provide extensive assistance, the constant presence of an adult can inadvertently limit the social interactions and engagement of adolescents with severe disabilities within high school classrooms. Peer support arrangements can be a practical and promising alternative to exclusively relying on paraprofessionaldelivered support. We draw on our recent partnership with schools implementing these interventions for more than 50 high school students with severe disabilities and involving more than 100 peers without developmental disabilities. This article outlines practical steps for establishing these interventions in inclusive classrooms.

Promoting Inclusion, Social Connections, and Learning Through Peer Support Arrangements:

The invisible hand is a metaphor that refers to teachers’ impact on the classroom peer ecology. Although teachers have the capacity to organize the classroom environment and activities in ways that...

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Classroom Social Dynamics Management: Why the Invisible Hand of the Teacher Matters for Special Education:

Enhancing the social and learning experiences of students with severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms has been a long-standing focus of research, legislative, and advocacy efforts. The authors used a randomized controlled experimental design to examine the efficacy of peer support arrangements to improve academic and social outcomes for 51 students with severe disabilities in high school general education classrooms. Paraprofessionals or special educators recruited, trained, and supported 106 peers to provide individualized academic and social assistance to students with severe disabilities throughout one semester. Compared to students exclusively receiving adult-delivered support (n = 48), students participating in peer support arrangements experienced increased interactions with peers, increased academic engagement, more progress on individualized social goals, increased social participation, and a greater number of new friendships. Moreover, an appreciable proportion of relationships lasted one an...

Randomized Evaluation of Peer Support Arrangements to Support the Inclusion of High School Students With Severe Disabilities

Although research suggests peer support arrangements can be an effective practice for improving social outcomes for students with severe disabilities, additional efforts are needed to refine training and implementation approaches to increase the replicability and sustainability of this intervention. We tested a promising teacher-delivered training model using a multiple-probe-across-participants design. Four paraprofessionals received training to facilitate peer support arrangements for four middle school students with severe disabilities in general education classrooms. Teacher-delivered training enabled paraprofessionals to facilitate peer support arrangements that increased support from peers and interactions for students with disabilities. In addition, three of four students with disabilities demonstrated growth on individualized goals. We discuss implications for research and practice, highlighting approaches for improved implementation of peer support arrangements.

Implementation and Generalization of Peer Support Arrangements for Students With Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

This randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of peer network interventions to improve the social connections of 47 high school students with severe disabilities. School staff inv...

Gillian N. Cattey

Papers

Randomized Evaluation of Peer Support Arrangements to Support the Inclusion of High School Students With Severe Disabilities

Implementation and Generalization of Peer Support Arrangements for Students With Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

Efficacy and Social Validity of Peer Network Interventions for High School Students With Severe Disabilities