A Portrait of Peers Within Peer-Mediated Interventions: A Literature Review

Abstract

Although the impact of peer-mediated interventions on students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been studied extensively, little attention has focused on the peers without disabilities who are so central to these interventions. We reviewed 98 studies to examine the portrait of more than 3,000 peers without disabilities who have participated in peer-mediated interventions involving middle and high school students with IDD. Peer and student demographics were very diverse, as were the methods for peer recruitment and selection, the interventions they delivered, the settings in which they spent time with students with IDD, and the ways in which they were prepared for these roles. However, reporting in these areas was limited across studies. We offer recommendations for strengthening research and practice focused on the contributions of peers within these evidence-based interventions.

How Do Peers Benefit From Peer-Mediated Interventions? Examining Impact Within Secondary and Postsecondary Programs

“…Future studies should also strive to include a more diverse peer sample with regard to peer demographics. Although the high proportion of students who were female and White is consistent with demographics presented in prior reviews (e.g., Schaefer et al, 2016; Travers & Carter, 2022), it will be important to understand how racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students might also benefit from involvement in these interventions.…”

“Now They Have a Baseline Understanding”: Assessing the Effects and Social Validity of a Class-Wide Peer-Education Intervention for Autistic Middle School Students and Their Peers

“…Direct PMII incorporates adults who train neurotypical peers and facilitate interactions between trained peers and autistic students However, peers for PMII studies are often handpicked by researchers and facilitators because they (a) have had experience or are interested in working with students with disabilities, (b) demonstrate high levels of academic engagement and appropriate social skills, or (c) have experience interacting with the focal student (Travers & Carter, 2022). Given that extant literature has described some students as being more inclusive toward autistic peers than others (Dillenburger et al, 2017), it may be that researchers are training peers who are already predisposed to interacting with and developing relationships with autistic students.…”

Peer Support Provided by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Rapid Scoping Review to Develop a Toolkit for Inclusive Research

“…In this paper, we specifically focus on peer support provided by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is a purposeful challenge to the overrepresentation of non-disabled, same age "peers" in peer support literature that includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Płatos and Wojaczek 2018;Travers and Carter 2022). Peer support builds on the theory that shared lived experience and reciprocal relationships provide a mechanism for change (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ( 2015)).…”