26 Sunny Kim, Brittany Koegel and Lynn Kern Koegel
interactions improved between children with ASD and typically developing peers.
On the other hand, when cooperative arrangements were not in place, children
with ASD exhibited lower levels of reciprocal social interaction with typically
developing peers. The results of this study highlight the importance of arranging
the environment in such a way as to promote reciprocal social interactions between
students with ASD and typically developing peers.
Peer-mediated interventions. As typically developing peers may have a contin-
uous dynamic interaction with adolescents with ASD, they have the potential to
foster an inclusive social environment where they can teach appropriate social skills
to students with ASD. Typically developing peers can also serve as role models for
how adolescents with ASD should socialize with peers.
The use of typically developing peers as intervention agents has been found to
be more effective in regard to improving the social skills in students with ASD than
the use of adults implementing the intervention (Bene, Banda and Brown, 2014;
Kasari et al., 2012). For example, Pierce and Schreibman (1997) taught typically
developing peers to implement components of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)
in order to socially engage students with ASD. Specifically, the authors trained the
peers using a multi-component training model (i.e., combination of modeling,
role-playing, and didactic instruction). The results of the study showed that when
typically developing peers were implemented PRT, the rates of verbal initiations
made by student with ASD increased and their newly acquired social skills gener-
alized to other untrained peers.
Similarly, Mason, Kamps, Turcotte, Cox, Feldmiller, and Miller (2014) trained
typically developing peers to provide appropriate prompts to students with ASD
in order to elicit appropriate social behaviors. The results of the study suggest that
when typically developing peers were trained to appropriately prompt students
with ASD, the social behavior (i.e., verbal communication directed to a peer) of stu-
dents with ASD all drastically improved. Studies such as these suggest that typically
developing peers can be ideal interventionists in the school setting.
A concern some have raised regarding the utilization of typically developing
peers as intervention agents is any potential negative effects it may have on these
students. Research, however, suggests that using typically developing peers does
not negatively impact their social status in the school setting (Locke, Rotheram-
Fuller and Kasari, 2012). In contrast, research suggests that typically developing
peers who serve as peer models to students with ASD become socially connected
to these students while maintaining a strong and positive role in their schools
(Locke et al., 2012).
Paraeducator support. In order for students with ASD to be successfully included
in their general education class, schools often provide a one-on-one paraeducator
for support. In fact, it has become standard practice for schools to rely on paraedu-
cators to help students with ASD receive an inclusive education alongside typically
developing peers (Giangreco, Broer and Edelman, 2010; Jones and Bender, 1993;
Riggs and Mueller, 2001; Young, Simpson, Myls and Kamps, 1997). Along with aca-
demic responsibilities, an essential role for paraeducators is to provide social support