Generalized effects of a peer-delivered first aid program for students with moderate intellectual disabilities.

Four middle-school students with moderate intellectual disability learned basic first aid. Each learner had a classmate with mild ID serve as the teacher.

The peer teachers used Behavioral Skills Training: explain, show, practice, and feedback. Sessions happened in a spare classroom twice a week.

A multiple-baseline design tracked three skills: clean a cut, cover it, and tell an adult. Probes also checked if the skill worked at home, with new injuries, and with new adults.

All four students reached a large share correct steps within 8-12 sessions. Skills stayed strong one month later.

More important, every kid used the steps at home when real scrapes happened. They also helped friends with new injuries and followed the steps with unfamiliar adults.

Pisman et al. (2020) later showed moms can do the same thing at playtime. Both studies prove non-experts can teach useful skills without hurting natural fun or rapport.

Lattal (1975) used video modeling to teach adjectives and saw the same wide generalization. The method differs, but the outcome pattern matches: kids with ID transfer learning to new items and places.

Carr et al. (1985) tried basic operant training for toy play and got weak results. The contrast hints that full BST, with modeling and rehearsal, beats simple reward alone for meaningful life skills.

You can pair students with mild and moderate ID and let the stronger peer run first-aid lessons. The approach costs no extra staff time and creates helpers across the building. Start with one skill, add peers once they master it, and probe at home the same night—real scrapes give free generalization data.