It's Time to Play: Peer‐Mediated Intervention With a Student With Autism at Recess
Peer PRT at recess sparks more student talk, but plan extra supports if you also want play to grow.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ashley et al. (2025) trained third-grade classmates to use PRT at recess.
One student with autism joined the games.
The team tracked how often peers used PRT and how the student talked and played.
What they found
Peers quickly learned to give PRT prompts and questions.
The student asked and said more words.
Yet recess play skills stayed flat; no clear link showed up.
How this fits with other research
Stewart et al. (2018) ran a similar recess setup but kept a staff coach on the edge.
They saw big jumps in both talk and play.
The gap hints that adult cues may be needed for play gains.
Harper et al. (2008) also used peer-only PRT and saw social starts rise, matching the talk boost here.
Together the studies draw a line: peer PRT lifts communication; play may need extra help.
Why it matters
You can add peer PRT to recess tomorrow and expect richer language right away.
If free-play stays low, keep an adult nearby to prompt games or give choices.
Try a quick rule: adult stays silent unless no play occurs for two minutes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often taught within inclusive classrooms, which provide opportunities to develop social communication and peer interaction skills. Pivotal response training (PRT) and peer‐mediated intervention (PMI) are evidence‐based practices that promote social skill development. We used a concurrent multiple probe across peers design to evaluate the effects of training three third‐grade peers to use PRT as a PMI to promote the social communication and play behaviors of a classmate with ASD during recess. Generalization measures were conducted in the classroom during free play. Results indicated a functional relationship between training peers on PRT and increased use of PRT and between peers' use of PRT and the target child's communication to peers, confirmed by Tau‐U and visual analysis. A functional relation between peers' use of PRT and the target child's play with peers was not demonstrated. Similar effects were observed in the generalization environment.
Behavioral Interventions, 2025 · doi:10.1002/bin.70027