Peer supports 137(e.g., friendship nominations, social network centrality rankings) to examine the
social impact of being a peer model. Though peer models reported a significant
increase in connections to children with ASD between pre- and post- intervention,
there were no other notable changes in social outcomes (though importantly there
were no declines in the social status of peer models). The authors suggested that it
may be harder to detect positive intervention effects for peer models, given their
already high social status in the classroom (Locke et al., 2012). Interestingly, in this
study the social status of non-peer models improved from pre- to post-intervention
suggesting that there may be collateral benefits for all children in a classroom in
which a peer mediated intervention is implemented for children with ASD (Locke
et al., 2012).
Other studies have used focus groups and surveys to elicit the opinions of
peer models about their experience participating in peer-mediated interventions
for high school students with disabilities, including ASD (Copeland et al., 2004;
Hughes et al., 2001). Peer models endorse several benefits of being a peer model,
including improved attitudes about individuals with disabilities, as well as increased
knowledge and comfort interacting with peers with disabilities (Hughes et al.,
2001; Copeland et al., 2004).
Peer burden and burnout
Peer models may face challenges when selected to help children with ASD. Aside
from the personal sacrifice and/or relinquishing recess periods or other free time,
peer models may feel obligated to help their peers with ASD. Over time, this may
prove burdensome for peer models, and they may succumb to various difficul-
ties, demands, and pressures that may lead to burnout (Reiter and Vitani, 2007).
Research is needed to determine the factors that sustain the involvement of chil-
dren and adolescents in peer-mediated interventions over time to assuage the pos-
sibility of burnout (Carter and Kennedy, 2006).
School supports
Schools planning to implement peer-mediated interventions for students with ASD
should take into account a number of considerations, including group composition
(i.e., number of peer models), intervention method (e.g., peer networks, peer tutor-
ing), oversight (i.e., teacher support), context (i.e., where the intervention will take
place), intervention goal (i.e., social or academic), and training needs (e.g., time, staff
support, curricula) to ensure the success of the program. Furthermore, in addition
to didactic social skills instruction, it is important that schools provide opportunities
for peer models and students with ASD to interact in and out of the classroom. Of
particular interest is determining the number of peer models needed to prevent
peer burnout while also averting stigmatization for students with ASD. This ques-
tion has yet to be empirically tested, and the results may be different depending on
the age of the peers and the functioning level of the student with ASD.