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A Review of Peer-Mediated Social Interaction Interventions for Students with Autism in Inclusive Settings

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Abstract

This review addresses the use of peer-mediated interventions (PMI) to improve the social interaction skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive settings. The purpose of this review is to (a) identify the characteristics and components of peer-mediated social interaction interventions, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of PMI by offering an analysis of intervention results and research design, and (c) suggest directions for future research. Overall, results suggest that PMI is a promising treatment for increasing social interaction in children, adolescents, and young adults with ASD in inclusive settings, with positive generalization, maintenance, and social validity outcomes. Findings also suggest that participant characteristics and the type of social deficit an individual exhibits are important considerations when choosing the optimal configuration of PMI strategies.

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References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the review

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education, 1912 Speedway, D5300, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Laci Watkins, Mark O’Reilly, Michelle Kuhn & Cindy Gevarter

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Giulio E. Lancioni

  3. School of Educational Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Jeff Sigafoos

  4. Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Support, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA

    Russell Lang

Authors
  1. Laci Watkins
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  2. Mark O’Reilly
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  3. Michelle Kuhn
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  4. Cindy Gevarter
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  5. Giulio E. Lancioni
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  6. Jeff Sigafoos
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  7. Russell Lang
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Correspondence to Laci Watkins.

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Watkins, L., O’Reilly, M., Kuhn, M. et al. A Review of Peer-Mediated Social Interaction Interventions for Students with Autism in Inclusive Settings. J Autism Dev Disord 45, 1070–1083 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2264-x

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