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PMII

Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention

Liana Dombrowski
EDUC 620 Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders
Viterbo University

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Abstract
Autism is defined as having impaired communication and socialization skills.
Students who have been diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum have an inability to
learn social skills and may lack the ability to initiate interaction with others. There is a
prospect to teach social skills for these individuals who lack the tools to socialize with their
peers. Numerous autobiographical accounts written by individuals with autism reveal that
they often long to socialize with others (Causton-Theoharis, & Cosier, 2009). They
experience feelings of isolation. In addition, they often experience social anxiety about
engaging socially with others (Kuusikkort al., 2008) Individuals with Autism Spectrum
Disorder just dont have the skills to socialize. Theyre unable to develop them on their own.
In recent studies, researches have proven findings of how to help individuals with Autism
Spectrum Disorder break through these social inadequacies through evidence-based
practice of instruction and interventions.
Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention
There are many approaches to developing social learning skills for students with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. One approach defined as evidence-based practice is PeerMediated Instruction and Intervention. PMII is designed to assist students with ASD to
develop social awareness skills with their peers in multiple social settings and activities.
Typical developing peers are trained to prompt and reinforce students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders to initial social interactions that are both positive and natural. Using the
Least Restrictive Environment for this practice, it allows students to build their
communication and social skills in a natural way in all areas of school such as in the
classroom, during lunch, and interests outside of school.
Social Networks

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In the middle school and high school, Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention
uses a format called peer social networks. Trained peers interact with focal students in after
school activities, clubs, sports, and typical hangout situations in addition to the regular
school hours. Social networks provide the opportunity to extend social initiations for focal
students to practice and learn from their peers in areas of their personal interests or
hobbies.
Implementation
Before the PMII begins, teachers and paraprofessionals access the social
interactions the focal student has during the duration of a school day. This includes how
many times the focal student initiates the interaction and how many times there is a
response. During the PMII there is a self-monitoring checklist for the focal student to
complete. It is a social interaction behavior checklist that including the areas of: eye contact,
making conversations, taking turns, initiating interactions, asking for and sharing materials.
Characteristics of Trained Peers
Students who are selected to be trained peers should meet the criteria of good social
skills, language, and age-appropriate play skills, well-liked by peers, have a willingness to
participate, attend school on a regular basis, and have a positive relationship in the past
with the focal student (Sperry, L., Neitzel, J. & Engelhardt-Wells, K., 2010). In the process of
conducting a Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention, focal students will have the
opportunity to practice their newly learned social skills with many trained peers in general
education settings with natural responses.
Parental Involvement
To conduct the Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention, parents will be asked for
consent of their participation. Teacher communication to parents will be ongoing. Both
student and parent will be surveyed with pre-assessments, monitoring assessments, and

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post-assessments of their participation in the PMII. The surveys will collect information
about the focal students interests; focal students detailed background on peer interactions
in school and outside of school activities. Parents input will help access and gauge the
amount of social interactions as the PMII is conducted. One area of high interest in the
parent survey is their level of stress from being a parent of a student with ASD and how it
affects the family at home. Stress, however, does appear to be more prevalent in parents of
children who exhibit poor social skills and behavior problems (Davis & Carter, 2008; Plant &
Sanders, 2007), especially if the problems involve socially offensive and disruptive
behaviors (Hasting, Daley, Burns, & Beck, 2006; Orsmond et al., 2006). With the on-going
assessments, teachers will be able to address the needs of the focal student, their parents,
and trained peers as the PMII is in progress.
Potential Barriers
The focal student, trained peers, time, parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals are
all potential barriers to the success of improving the social skills of the focal student
involved in the Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention. The trained peers will need to
have the willingness to try and be persistent at developing a connection with the focal
student. This is crucial to increased benefits for the focal student. Teachers have also
reported, however, that some peer trainers are more effective than others at teaching social
play to their classmates with autism (Pierce & Schreibman, 1997). As a result, teachers will
need to monitor the trained peers efforts and make changes if needed. More importantly is
the number of trained peers available throughout the day should allow a consistent amount
of interaction time for the focal student to practice their new social skills. A potential barrier
involving parents is their need to give consent to conduct the PMII and a downfall could be
early withdrawal from the intervention. In the role of teachers and paraprofessionals, they
need to monitor and recognize how the trained peers are interacting with the focal student is

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critical. Teachers and paraprofessionals need to be fully aware of all interactions the focal
student is making to have a more comprehensive result of the intervention. Finally, the most
important role to determine if the PMII succeeds is the acceptance of the focal student to
the process itself. The planning and implementation of the PMII needs to be centered on the
specific needs of the focal child and doing this correctly will determine the level of success
in the outcome.
Focal Student Background
My focal student, Alec, is from a Caucasian middle-class family with both parents.
He is thirteen years old and is the oldest child in the family with two younger siblings. Alec
has above average intelligence and is diagnosed with mild to moderate autistic tendencies
with no other health problems. He struggles socially and does not reach out to his
classmates. Outside of school, he spends most of his free time independently. Alec requires
a minimal level of support to succeed in school to stay organized, keep on task, and to help
minimize his disruptive talking at inappropriate times. While Alec will respond to social cues
of others, he does not initiate any social interaction with his peers. Parents goal for Alec
academically is for him to attend college. They recognize that he will have ongoing social
difficulties that may cause potential career issues in obtaining and retaining employment.
Positive Outcome for All
My expectations after conducting a PMII at my school would be having positive
outcomes for all involved. Alec would have an opportunity to gain friendships within his own
peer groups and continuously build upon his social skills to develop the skills to selfregulate inappropriate behaviors. An intervention in this format can build deeper
understandings of differences and similarities, promote friendships, and produce a nurturing
environment. Most importantly, conducting the PMII will allow many students to be

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introduced to new social experiences that otherwise would have never developed on their
own.

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References
Autism Internet Modules. (2013). Linking Research to Real Life. Retrieved June 24, 2013, from
http://autisminternetmodules.org/
Causton-Theoharis, J., Ashby, C., & Cosier, M. (2009). Islands of loneliness: Exploring social
interaction through the autobiographies of individuals with autism. Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities, 47, 84-96. doi:10.1352/1934-9556-47.2.84.
Davis, N.O., & Carter, A.S.(2008). Parenting stress in mothers and fathers of toddlers with autism
spectrum disorders: Associations with child characteristics. Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders, 38,1278-1291 doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0512-z.
Hallahan, D.P., Kauffman, J.M., & Pullen, P.C. (2012). Exceptional Learners, An Introduction to Special
Education, p.83, 248-249.
Hastings, R.P., Daley, D., Burns, C., &Beck, A. (2006). Maternal distress and expressed emotion: Crosssectional and longitudinal relationships with behavior problems of children with intellectual
disabilities. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 111,48-61. doi:10.1352/0895-8017(2006)
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Kuusikkort, S., Pollock-Wurman, R., Jussila, K., Carter, A.S., Mattila, M.-J, Ebeling, H.,& Moilanen, I.
(2008). Social anxiety in high-functioning children and adolescents with autism and Asperger
syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1697-1709. Doi:10.1007/s10803008-0555-9.
Pierce, K. & Schreibman, L. (1997) Using Peer Trainers to Promote Social Behavior in Autism. Focus on
Autism and Other Development Disabilities, 12, (4), p.207-218.
Plant, K. M., & Sanders, M.R. (2007). Predictors of care-giver stress in families of preschool-aged children
with developmental disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51, Part 2, 109-124.
doi:10-1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00829.x.

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Sperry, L., Neitzel, J., & Engelhardt-Wells, K. (2010). Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention
Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Preventing School Failure, v54 n4 p.256264.