Utilizing Peers to Support Academic Learning for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
ClassWide Peer Tutoring is an old idea with a new map—use the Haas guide to run peer pairs that lift academic scores for students with autism in gen-ed rooms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Haas et al. (2019) wrote a how-to guide for teachers. They explain step-by-step ways to use ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) and Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) with students who have autism. The paper is conceptual, not a new experiment.
It shows how to fit these peer methods into regular lesson plans. The goal is to raise academic learning while keeping kids in the general-ed classroom.
What they found
The authors lay out clear scripts, roles, and timing. They say CWPT and PALS can work for reading, math, and spelling. They also note that social gains may ride along with the academic practice.
How this fits with other research
Dougherty et al. (1994) ran the first test of CWPT with autism. They saw reading fluency and free-time talking go up. Haas et al. (2019) take that old method and give teachers today a fresh manual.
Zhang et al. (2022) used peers during iPad lessons. They tracked social skills and saw big gains. Haas keeps the peer idea but keeps the spotlight on school subjects, not social goals.
Van Hanegem et al. (2014) tried a lighter peer-support plan. They cut off-task behavior for three students. Haas does not contradict them; it just aims the peer power at learning instead of behavior.
Why it matters
You can start CWPT on Monday without new gear. Pick a skill, pair students, give the 5-step script, and rotate pairs every few minutes. The guide tells you how to train peers, track scores, and keep the class quiet. Try it for 20 minutes a day and watch both grades and friendships rise.
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Join Free →Pick one reading skill, split the class into tutor-tutee pairs, run a 5-minute timed CWPT round, then swap roles and repeat.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in academic settings is becoming more common. However, most practices focus on increasing social skills even though students also struggle in academic areas. There is a need for strategies that address both social and academic skill deficits, are evidence based, and are easy to implement in the classroom. Peer-mediated interventions have evidence supporting their use in promoting social and academic behavior change and are socially valid and cost-effective. The purpose of this paper is to present examples of how to implement 2 common peer-tutoring strategies: Classwide Peer Tutoring and Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. Examples for implementing both strategies are provided using a hypothetical student in a general education setting, followed by a brief summary of evidence supporting the peer-mediated academic instruction.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2019 · doi:10.1007/s40617-019-00363-4