Peer-Mediated Interventions Show Positive Outcomes for At-Risk Peers

Peer-mediated interventions, designed to enhance social and learning outcomes for students with autism and other developmental disabilities, have shown to have a profound impact on the peers involved in these programs. According to a recent pilot study conducted at eight public high schools, peers who participated in a semester-long peer partners program experienced significant improvements in their academic and behavioral outcomes. The study, led by Jamie Owen-DeSchryver and colleagues from Grand Valley State University, suggests that involvement in these programs can not only benefit students with disabilities but also positively impact at-risk peers.

Key Takeaways:

• The pilot study involved 204 peers who participated in a semester-long peer partners program at eight public high schools.
• The majority of peer partners were female, and they varied widely in their academic and behavioral profiles prior to their involvement in the program.
• After one semester of involvement, peer partners experienced increases in their overall GPAs (d = 0.34) and daily attendance (d = 0.56).
• Modest decreases in behavioral referrals and suspensions were evident only among the subset of peer partners who previously had such infractions.
• After two semesters of involvement, improvements were evident in all four areas (GPA, absences, behavior referrals, and suspensions) for the subset of students for whom these data were available.
• The study suggests that program coordinators, school psychologists, and other school staff should actively seek to involve diverse peer partners in their programs, including students with academic or behavioral challenges.

Statistics:

• 204 peers participated in the pilot study.
• The majority of peer partners (62.3%) were female.
• The mean GPA of peer partners increased by 0.34 after one semester of involvement.
• The mean daily attendance of peer partners increased by 0.56 after one semester of involvement.
• Soft decreases in behavioral referrals (d = 0.22) and suspensions (d = 0.15) were evident among the subset of peer partners who previously had such infractions.
• After two semesters of involvement, improvements were evident in all four areas for the subset of students for whom these data were available.

Sources:

• The Reciprocity of Peer-mediated Interventions: Examining Outcomes for Peers. School Psychology Review, 2024;53(3):223-235.
• NewsRx. Findings from Grand Valley State University Update Understanding of Autism (The Reciprocity of Peer-mediated Interventions: Examining Outcomes for Peers). Mental Health Weekly Digest. June 24, 2024; p 180.