Positive interactions and relationships with peers are important for everyone, including elementary-aged students with disabilities who use or who could benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) (Bukowski et al., 2009). However, educators and service providers often have difficulty knowing how to support peer engagement and interaction. To address this need, our team has been leading the Enhancing Peer Networks Project—a multi-year, grant-funded research project that focuses on partnering with school teams to support friendships among elementary-aged students with autism who are minimally speaking and their peers without disabilities. Through this work, we also aim to help students with autism build social communication and language skills through AAC. Our intervention model involves three parts: (1) social-emotional learning: inclusive lessons delivered to students with and without disabilities to build a foundation for healthy peer relationships, (2) peer networks: play-based groups with the student with autism and two peers, where students learn “Ways to Talk and Play” to support engagement and interaction, and (3) naturalistic AAC instruction: support for school staff to learn how to model and teach language using AAC during play. Importantly, the Enhancing Peer Networks intervention is different from many other peer-mediated interventions that engage peers as “helpers” for their classmates with disabilities. Instead, this approach aims to strengthen peer engagement and social interaction while supporting friendship development (Platos & Wojaczek, 2018).
Our research within the Enhancing Peer Networks Project has consisted of three studies utilizing multiple baseline single-case designs, two studies using mixed methods designs, and we are currently mid-way through a group design study to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Across four years, we have worked with 18 students with autism, their peers, and their educators. Our findings have not only shown the impact of the intervention in improving social communication and engagement with peers, but also in supporting students’ expressive language skills through AAC. We have also gained critical insight into the perspectives of students, peers, and educational team members about their views and experiences with the intervention.
In this presentation, we will share about our research methods and findings within the Enhancing Peer Networks Project, while also focusing on demonstrating the three intervention components through clear explanations, sample materials, and video models. By doing this, we will focus on bridging research to practice—sharing practical strategies with attendees so they can be equipped to promote social communication, peer engagement, and peer relationships for elementary-aged students who use or could benefit from AAC.
Bukowski, W. M., Motzoi, C., & Meyer, F. (2009). Friendship as process, function, and outcome. In K. H. Rubin, W. M., Bukowski, & B. Laursen (Eds.), Handbook of peer interactions, relationships, and groups (pp. 217-231). Guilford.
Platos, M., & Wojaczek, K. (2018). Broadening the scope of peer-mediated intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 747-750.
