Figure - available from: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
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Percentage of intervals of total social interaction (i.e., initiations and responses to and from students with ASD)
Source publication
Developing positive peer relationships is important. Unfortunately, due to challenges in social communication and increased complexity of peer groups during adolescence, many secondary students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in limited positive social interactions with peers. This study examined the effects of a peer network interventio...
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Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience more frequent bullying victimization compared to their neurotypical peers. This study used the 2011 Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services to examine associations between six Children’s Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ) subscales and bullying victimization among 1057 children with ASD...
Citations
... All studies came from high-income countries: Saudi Arabia (n = 1), England (n = 3) and the USA (n = 11) with samples ranging from 3 to 4758 pupils aged 5-18 years, with a range of 15%-100% pupils with SEND. Five studies were focused solely on pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Bradley, 2016;Cook et al., 2019;Rex, 2014;Segura, 2012;Sreckovic et al., 2017), one on pupils with specific learning disabilities (Abdulkader, 2017), one on pupils with emotional disabilities (Rahill & Teglasi, 2003), one on attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disabilities (Rudd, 2016) and the remaining seven focused more broadly on SEND. ...
... The mainstream approach 'Second Step' was evaluated in two of the studies (Espelage et al., 2015;Sullivan et al., 2015), but all other approaches were unique. Five studies trialled a newly designed approach: CBT counselling (Abdulkader, 2017), peer mentoring (Bradley, 2016), musical contact (Cook et al., 2019), video modelling (Rex, 2014) and peer network meetings (Sreckovic et al., 2017 Bullying Now (Vessey & O'Neill, 2011). See Table 1 for information of which approach/intervention focused on the whole school (WS), whole class (WC) or a targeted group of pupils (Ta). ...
... The two most common components were: (1) interactive classroom activities, such as watching and discussing videos and role-playing situations and (2) anti-bullying lessons (Espelage et al., 2015;Graybill et al., 2016;Rahill & Teglasi, 2003;Ramirez, 2018;Rex, 2014;Rudd, 2016;Segura, 2012;Sullivan et al., 2015;Vessey & O'Neill, 2011). Several studies initiated socialisation between pupils with SEND and pupils without SEND either through structured peer networks or peer mentoring (Bradley, 2016;Sreckovic et al., 2017) or through group-based activities such as singing, sports and arts (Cook et al., 2019;Saylor & Leach, 2009). Two studies also included parents (Humphrey et al., 2013) or the wider community (Ramirez, 2018) into the approach. ...
Mainstream anti‐bullying interventions can reduce primary school‐level victimisation by 15–16% and bullying perpetration by 19%–20% ( Aggression and Violent Behavior , 2019; 45 : 111–133). Less is known about anti‐bullying interventions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) even though they are at least 2–4 times more likely to be involved in bullying. This systematic review aimed to identify reported anti‐bullying approaches for pupils with SEND, what the evidence is for these approaches reducing bullying and which design factors are linked to a reduction in bullying. We searched 10 databases and four grey literature sources for articles that evaluated school‐based anti‐bullying strategies for children and young people aged 4–18 years with SEND. This review included 15 studies and used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality and risk of bias. Ten reported a reduction in bullying involvement, but the evidence was variable. A further 27 articles formed a ‘suggested strategies’ review which synthesised articles without evaluations of interventions but that suggested anti‐bullying strategies for use with pupils with SEND. The main suggestion was encouraging social skills and networks. Interventions should be evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness. High‐quality randomised controlled trials are required to build an evidence base to support pupils with SEND.
... Drawing on this research into bullying, researchers have recommended multi-component interventions that address key areas such as the negative attitudes and behaviours of their neurotypical peers, the development of a zero-tolerance school culture, the often-limited knowledge and skills of teachers and, and the protective skills and understanding of autistic children themselves (Humphrey & Hebron, 2015). Interventions targeting some of these identified risk factors have been developed and shown to reduce bullying victimisation among autistic children including classroom-based peer education programs, interventions to increase contact between autistic children and neurotypical peers, and programs focused on building social skills among autistic children as well as increasing their ability to recognise and respond to bullying (Bradley, 2016;Cook et al., 2019;Liu et al., 2018;Morris et al., 2021;Sreckovic et al., 2017). A multi-component approach to addressing victimisation is also consistent with key organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention who support a social-ecological approach to understanding violence (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) and propose that addressing violence and victimisation requires an understanding of the complex interplay between individual, contextual and broader social factors. ...
This article provides a systematic review of the prevalence and risk factors associated with interpersonal violence reported by autistic adults. A systematic search of electronic data bases for peer-reviewed journal articles in English was conducted. The search identified 16 studies that addressed rates and/or risk factors for interpersonal violence. There was wide variation in prevalence rates which was attributed to differences in types of violence being investigated, definitions and measures used, age range and gender of participants and time-frame covered. Overall results indicated that rates may be higher than in the general population. Twelve studies reported on possible risk factors with both individual and broader social factors identified. Further research utilising longitudinal design and validated measures is needed.
... Other activities of shared interests may exist within schools. In a study conducted by Sreckovic et al. (2017), three autistic students engaged in shared activities. They played board games, ate snacks, and interacted with non-autistic peers during lunch time twice a week. ...
Purpose:
Videogaming offers an interactive, enjoyable, and socially valid context for interaction between autistic and non-autistic students in schools. In this tutorial, I describe an approach that supports communication and peer interaction through group-based videogaming. This approach creates an opportunity for autistic and non-autistic students to engage in a meaningful and enjoyable activity and to promote acceptance and appreciation of communication differences.
Method:
This tutorial includes development, planning, essential components, goal writing, and a list of resources and directions to implement the videogaming-based group intervention in middle and high school settings. This tutorial is grounded in a supports-based, anti-ableist, neurodiversity framework that embraces a difference-based view of autistic communication. Cost-effectiveness and ease of implementation make this intervention feasible for school settings.
Conclusions:
Ableist practices are pervasive in academic and clinical settings. There is an urgency within the field of speech-language pathology to address misconceptions regarding autism and autistic individuals, increase the understanding and appreciation of diversity in autistic communication, and eliminate practices that may promote autistic masking. These can be achieved by developing supports that value the preferences and experiences of autistic individuals and honor their strengths. Videogaming is one context that supports social communication. It does not hinge upon normative communication as a benchmark. Increased contact and exposure to autistic peers through fun and engaging game-based interactions help reduce stigma and prejudice toward autistic students.
... Acquisition was effective in 82.9% (N = 58) of studies (e.g., Yuan & Chen, 2020). One study had non-effective acquisition (Trembath et al., 2009) and 12.9% (N = 9) had partially effective results (e.g., Sreckovic et al., 2017). Two studies did not measure acquisition, only generalization of behavior already learned by participants (MacFarland & Fisher, 2019;Schmidt & Stichter, 2012). ...
... Some peer-mediated interventions for autistic young people have been delivered in schools, targeting, for example, academic skills and classroom behaviour via individual and class-wide peer tutoring and co-operative learning groups (Dugan et al., 1995;Kamps et al., 1994Kamps et al., , 1995McCurdy & Cole, 2014;Ward & Ayvazo, 2006). Some have also examined school-based peer support to enhance social opportunities and engagement for autistic pupils, involving non-autistic students playing a mentoring or befriending role to autistic students (Bambara et al., 2016;Bottema-Beutel et al., 2016;Bradley, 2016;Brain & Mirenda, 2019;Carter et al., 2017;Gardner et al., 2014;Hochman et al., 2015;Kretzmann et al., 2015;Sreckovic et al., 2017). These studies have had generally positive results, and there are advantages of having mentorship relationships between non-autistic and autistic peers, including promoting the social inclusion of the autistic students, enabling students to learn from one another (Bradley, 2016), providing peer support in relation to other aspects of identity (e.g. ...
... Importantly, no participants stated that they would have preferred peer support from neurotypical pupils. To date, research on peer support within schools has focused almost exclusively on neurotypical pupils mentoring or befriending autistic students (Bambara et al., 2016;Bottema-Beutel et al., 2016;Bradley, 2016;Brain & Mirenda, 2019;Carter et al., 2017;Gardner et al., 2014;Hochman et al., 2015;Kretzmann et al., 2015;Sreckovic et al., 2017) in order to support autistic pupils to develop neurotypical social skills and strategies to engage with their peers. The attitude that peer support can only be effectively delivered by neurotypical mentors permeates peer support research, including one study which stated that the success of peer-mediated interventions is contingent on access to neurotypical peers (Lorah et al., 2013). ...
Lay abstract:
Autistic young people may struggle in mainstream schools and feel disconnected from their peers and their school. We know that autistic adults can benefit from spending time with other autistic people, but we don't know if this is the case for younger autistic people. We conducted interviews with 13 autistic young adults in the United Kingdom who recently left mainstream schooling. We asked them if they would have been interested in being involved in autistic peer support when they were at school, and if so, what that peer support should look like. Results indicated that autistic young people were enthusiastic about the idea of peer support. They thought it was important that peer support was flexible to suit their needs at different times, as well as inclusive, positive, and embracing neurodiversity. They also discussed the potential benefits and difficulties of having a peer support system within a school setting. This adds to the growing body of research on the potential benefits of autistic-autistic interactions on autistic people's well-being and sense of belonging. Findings can be used to help design pilot peer support projects in schools that can be tested to see how effective they are.
... studies involved skills-focused instruction delivered by an adult, by peers, or by both peers and an adult. Most involved an adult and peers, but three studies incorporated only peermediated prompting (i.e., Herbert et al., 2020;Hochman et al., 2015;Sreckovic et al., 2017). Garrison-Harrell et al. reported systematic teaching of AAC-related communication skills only by adults. ...
... Just more than half (n = 8 studies) also used approaches such as oral or written open-ended questions, although none described qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews. In addition, Sreckovic et al. (2017) used normative comparison with peers without disabilities. Study authors were more likely to focus on the social validity of the procedures and outcomes, rather than goals. ...
... The emphasis on addressing environmental factors impacting peer interaction and relationships is in line with strengths-based approaches to educational supports for students with IDD (Shogren et al., 2017). Although many studies focused only on arranging the environment to promote opportunities for social interaction and on equipping peers (e.g., Asmus et al., 2017;Gardner et al., 2014;, other researchers incorporated the use of peer-mediated prompting and teaching within peer networks (e.g., Herbert et al., 2020;Hochman et al., 2015;Sreckovic et al., 2017). Furthermore, Kamps et al. (2015) incorporated direct instruction by teaching social skills to students with and without autism together in group play, which they rationalized would allow for more opportunities for practice, natural feedback, and social reinforcement from peers. ...
A systematic literature review was conducted to examine the evidence for peer network interventions for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Fifteen studies were identified and evaluated for methodological rigor using the quality indicators published by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and by examining the risk of bias. Relying only on the guidelines from the CEC, peer network interventions are an evidence-based practice for increasing the communication and interaction of students with IDD with their peers without disabilities. However, risk of bias assessment revealed several methodological issues, outcome measurement was generally restricted to being context-bound rather than generalized, and there is a need for further research at the middle school level, with students with intellectual disability who do not have an autism diagnosis, and with students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Implications are provided about training and supporting school personnel to implement peer network interventions.
... Of the excluded studies, one dissertation was excluded due to having the same data set as an included article (Sreckovic, 2015). One SCD study that used a multiple baseline design was excluded because of no provision of graphical data for analysis (Sreckovic et al., 2017). Another study and one dissertation were excluded because the data included were the combination of data for individuals with and without disabilities (Denzer, 2018;Sullivan et al., 2015). ...
This study synthesized 14 published and unpublished group design and single-case design studies on bullying interventions for individuals with disabilities. The specific objectives were to examine the general characteristics and design qualities of the studies, quantify the magnitude of the intervention effects, and identify potential moderating variables. Four studies were excluded from the meta-analysis due to being outliers or having insufficient data. The design qualities of the 14 studies were assessed before conducting the meta-analysis. Analysis of the study characteristics revealed that approximately one-third of the studies included participants with a singular diagnosis, many of the participants were elementary or secondary high school age, researcher was the most common implementer, schools were the most common setting, and interventions targeted bully victims more than bullies themselves. The results indicated that six studies (43%) met the What Works Clearinghouse Design Standards, with or without reservations. The overall effect size for bullying intervention with individuals with disabilities was small, and effect size of individual studies was small to large. Interventions implemented by teachers had the largest effect size; however, no statistical significance was found across implementers. Implications for practice and future research are discussed in the following areas: implementer, dose of intervention, and implementation supports.
... Researchers have found that peer-mediated interventions are a promising approach to increasing social interaction for autistic students [40], particularly adolescents [39]. Recent studies have extended peer-mediated intervention, such as peer support arrangements 11• and peer network interventions [15], to high school students with autism without co-occurring intellectual disability. Peers were recruited from the general education setting based on their interest, shared activities with the autistic student, or overlap in classes. ...
... Peers were recruited from the general education setting based on their interest, shared activities with the autistic student, or overlap in classes. Both pilot studies used single-case designs, involved educators to some degree, and students demonstrated increases in social participation 11• and interaction [15] following intervention. Carter and colleagues 11• trained peer partners to provide social and academic support in general education classrooms according to a written peer support plan, whereas in the peer network intervention, researchers facilitated twice weekly peer network meetings with the goal of increased social interactions during lunch and eventual fading of structured meetings [15]. ...
... Both pilot studies used single-case designs, involved educators to some degree, and students demonstrated increases in social participation 11• and interaction [15] following intervention. Carter and colleagues 11• trained peer partners to provide social and academic support in general education classrooms according to a written peer support plan, whereas in the peer network intervention, researchers facilitated twice weekly peer network meetings with the goal of increased social interactions during lunch and eventual fading of structured meetings [15]. Importantly, the study included a generalization phase testing students' use of the skills with other untrained peers, and effects were consistent with those observed during the active intervention phase [15]. ...
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the recent research (2016–2021) that evaluates the effectiveness of school-implemented interventions for students with autism (3–21 years old) from preschool to high school.
Recent Findings
Overall, the recent literature demonstrated that there are EBPs that help students with autism acquire a variety of skills across domains (academic, social communication). Though many educators and peers were able to achieve high-fidelity implementation, there remains variable fidelity of intervention use in some studies.
Summary
Though there is some evidence that educators and peers can successfully implement interventions, there are additional focal areas that are missing from the literature that are needed in schools (e.g., mental health, vocational). Future research should leverage implementation science approaches to support the use of proven efficacious interventions in schools.
... Interventions were EBP for students for ASD or evidence-based comprehensive intervention packages (Steinbrenner et al., 2020b). Examples of EBP interventions included antecedent-based interventions (Carter et al., 2016;Kretzman et al., 2015;Locke, Shih, et al., 2019;Shih et al., 2019), peer-mediated intervention (Kalyva & Avramidis, 2005;Sreckovic et al., 2017), pivotal response training (PRT; Brock et al., 2018;Harper et al., 2007), video modeling (Dueñas et al., 2019), and structured play groups (Hu et al., 2018;Kamps et al., 2014;Radley et al., 2017). Six of these studies also used peer-mediated instruction in addition to another type of EBP (i.e. ...
... Finally, three studies trained both the target student(s) with ASD and TD peers in the intervention (e.g. Kasari et al., 2012;Radley et al., 2017;Sreckovic et al., 2017). In Kasari et al. (2012), for example, peers met with an interventionist 20 min a week to learn strategies to support the engagement of students with social challenges. ...
... Within the school setting, observation locations varied. Ten studies observed participants during unstructured social periods, including break time, recess, or lunch (Brock et al., 2018;Dean et al., 2020;Kasari et al., 2012Kasari et al., , 2016Kretzman et al., 2015;Locke, Rotheram-Fuller, et al., 2019;Locke, Shih, et al., 2019;Radley, 2017;Shih et al., 2019;Sreckovic et al., 2017). Seven studies observed the participants in the classroom during circle time, learning center time, or during group work (Carter et al., 2016;Dueñas et al., 2019;Hu et al., 2018;Jung et al., 2008;Kalyva & Avramidis, 2005;Kamps et al., 2002;Vivanti et al., 2019). ...
Lay abstract:
Most social skills interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder have been conducted in clinic-based settings. While students with autism spectrum disorder are able to acquire new skills, the generalization of these skills to authentic social environments, like school, is more difficult. To address this issue, there is an increase in research examining the implementation of social skills interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder who are educated in inclusive school settings. This review included 18 research studies that focused on school-based social interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder who were educated in inclusive school settings. Typically developing peers also participated in the interventions to varying degrees. Secondary aims explored naturalistic observation instruments and subsequent social outcomes used to record the social behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorder at school. Social intervention components varied across studies, but all studies reported improvement in the targeted social behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorder. There were many similarities in the ways in which researchers measured and defined social outcomes. Observation protocols were able to measure change in the social behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorder across a wide age range. The recognition of evidence-based practices used in school-based social skills interventions, as well as the identification of observation protocols and salient social outcomes, provides a starting point for school practitioners to consider as they move to implement social skills interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder into inclusive school settings.
... In fact, one recent longitudinal study found that bullying is a substantial contributor to increased depression rates in young people with autism traits from childhood to adolescence relative to typically developing individuals, even after accounting for genetic risk (42). Some targeted interventions have been developed for children with autism (e.g., peer network interventions, video modeling), and preliminary reports based on very small samples suggest efficacy in reducing peer victimization (43,44). Some effective parent-assisted social skill training programs for young people with autism, such as the UCLA PEERS Program, also include content that targets bullying, but efficacy on this outcome has not been specifically assessed (45). ...
Introduction: Bullying is a major preventable risk factor for mental disorders. Available evidence suggests school-based interventions reduce bullying prevalence rates. This study aims to test the efficacy of a web-enabled, school-based, multicomponent anti-bullying intervention to prevent school bullying and to assess its effects on mental health and quality of life.
Methods and analysis: Cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 20 publicly funded primary and secondary schools in Madrid, Spain. Schools are randomly allocated to either the intervention arm ( n = 10) or conventional practices arm ( n = 10). The web-enabled intervention (LINKlusive) lasts ~12 weeks and consists of three main components: (i) an online training program for teachers and parents, (ii) a web-guided educational program for students, focusing on promoting respect for diversity, empathy, and social skill development, and (iii) a web-guided, teacher-delivered, targeted intervention program for bullying situations identified based on peer-support strategies and individual intervention for those involved (i.e., bullying victims and perpetrators). The primary objective is to compare differences between peer-reported bullying victimization in the intervention and control arms at the end of the intervention. Secondary outcome measures are additional measures of bullying victimization and perpetration, mental health symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life. A follow-up assessment is conducted 1 year after the end of the intervention. Treatment effects will be tested using multilevel mixed models, adjusting for school-, classroom-, and student-related covariates. Considering the increased bullying rates in children with special educational needs, a specific subgroup analysis will test the efficacy of the intervention on bullying prevalence, mental health, and quality of life in this particularly vulnerable population.
Ethics and Dissemination: The Deontology Commission of the School of Psychology, Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain reviewed the study protocol and granted ethical approval on 21st January 2019. The results of the trial will be disseminated in relevant peer-reviewed journals and at conferences in the field.
Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN15719015.
