Implementation of a Peer-Mediated Intervention to Teach Behavioral Expectations for Two Students on Autism Spectrum and a Student with ADHD in an Inclusive Elementary Classroom in Taiwan.

Chen (2024) ran integrated play groups inside a regular Taiwan grade-school class. Two kids with autism and one with ADHD joined typical classmates for guided play sessions. The peers learned how to invite, share, and expand pretend play while teachers watched and gave tips.

All three focal students talked and played back-and-forth far more after the groups started. They also showed new pretend scenes—feeding dolls, running a store, acting out stories. Teachers said the skills stayed during recess and free-choice time.

Clarke et al. (2019) also trained peer buddies, but in a U.S. middle school and for PBS instead of play. Both studies show classmates can deliver solid interventions when you give them a script and quick rehearsal.

Rasing et al. (1992) did something similar thirty years earlier: they taught preschool supervisors to prompt interactive play. The 2024 study flips the agent—from adults to peers—showing the idea still works with older kids and new handlers.

Callahan et al. (2022) used BST over Zoom to teach social skills to adults with disabilities. Yu-Ling moves that same teaching tool into live elementary play areas, proving BST travels across ages and settings.

You can set up peer play crews in any inclusive class with almost no gear. Pick two typical kids, spend one lunch period teaching them to model, ask questions, and praise sharing, then let the groups run during center time. The focal students get natural social practice while you collect easy peer-to-peer data. Start small—three sessions a week, five minutes each—and grow when you see back-and-forth smiles and comments stick.