Author: Julie Ann Horner

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

Research has suggested that youth with severe developmental disabilities (with and without ASD) benefit both academically and socially from inclusive school environments. The primary service delivery approach used for supporting the social, academic, and extracurricular experiences of adolescent students with significant developmental disabilities is individually assigned, one-to-one paraprofessionals and special educators. While this approach can serve an important auxiliary role in supporting these students' experiences, there is a stark absence of empirical evidence for this approach. Peer-mediated interventions have emerged as a promising alternative to one-to-one adult-delivered support models for improving academic and social outcomes for students with severe developmental disabilities. Research is needed that explores and describes the occurrences of social communication behaviors (SCB) that adolescents with severe disabilities exhibit and how their outcomes are influenced by peer-mediated interventions. The present study used data from a randomized control trial (RCT) to systematically: (1) explore and identify SCB occurrences among high school students with significant developmental disabilities with and without ASD; (2) explore and identify the SCB occurrences among high school typically developing students; (3) compare and contrast the SCB occurrences of both groups in relation to different student variables; and (4) investigate the quality of social interactions between typically developing high school students and high school students with DD before and after the implementation of peer-mediated interventions. Study data used direct observation event recording software and narrative recording. Results indicated statistical and clinical support for the peer support condition as compared to other treatment conditions in promoting various types of SCB among students with severe developmental disabilities, specifically those with ASD. A student's disability severity was found to modulate the occurrences general initiations exhibited by them. Little change was detected in social interaction quality attributes among disability groups between treatment conditions. Findings have positive implications for increasing SCB among students with DD who present with ASD. Findings have implications for assessing SCB and increasing social interactions and engagement among adolescents with severe developmental disabilities, specifically ASD, in general education settings.