Understanding Our Peers with Pablo: Exploring the Merit of an Autism Spectrum Disorder De-stigmatisation Programme Targeting Peers in Irish Early Education Mainstream Settings.
A five-session puppet-based class programme quickly boosts autism knowledge and acceptance among early-elementary peers, with effects lasting at least three months.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Irish researchers created a short classroom programme called "Understanding Our Peers with Pablo."
They tested it with neurotypical children in mainstream early-education classes.
Kids got lessons about autism and met a puppet friend who has autism traits.
What they found
After the lessons, children knew more facts about autism.
They also showed warmer attitudes toward both new and familiar autistic classmates.
These gains stayed strong when researchers checked again three months later.
How this fits with other research
The idea builds on McGonigle et al. (2014), who ran a similar anti-stigma club for middle-school girls.
Zhang et al. (2022) and Lowe et al. (1995) show peers can do even more—like delivering PRT—yet Sonia’s team kept the peer role simple: learn and accept.
Kent et al. (2021) trained peers to coach play skills; Sonia’s work flips the lens and trains the whole class to understand autism first.
Why it matters
You can slip Pablo’s five brief lessons into any circle-time schedule. No extra staff, no fancy gear—just a storybook, puppet, and chat. When classmates grasp why a peer may line up toys or cover ears, they invite instead of ignore. That social climate makes later skills training, like PRT or peer-mediated play, easier because kids are already open to including their autistic friend.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The political drive for inclusion means there are increasing numbers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) being educated alongside their neurotypical peers. Pervasive victimisation has prompted the development of peer interventions targeting stigma. This study evaluated the 'Understanding Our Peers with Pablo' programme for effects on knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of infant schoolchildren (N = 222) towards autistic peers. Classes were randomly assigned to an intervention or waitlist control condition. Change over time in knowledge of autism and attitudes and behavioural intentions towards familiar and unfamiliar peers was analysed using mixed analyses of variance. The intervention condition showed gains in knowledge and increased positive attitudes towards unfamiliar autistic peers (maintained over three-months). There were significant improvements in attitudes towards familiar autistic peers, and time-limited decreases in behavioural intentions across both conditions. Overall, results support the use of this programme in early-years education.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04464-w