Peer-Mediated Instruction and Interventions to Increase Social Skills of Children with ASD without Intellectual Impairments in Inclusive Preschool and Elementary School Settings: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Using meta-analysis, this study evaluated the rigor and quality of single-case design studies using peer-mediated instruction and interventions (PMII) to improve the social skills of participants with ASD without intellectual impairments in inclusive preschool and elementary school settings. The study employed descriptive analysis, visual analysis, and Single-Case Analysis and Review Framework (SCARF) to evaluate the rigor and quality of 52 single-case design studies from 20 sources. Results indicated that the majority of the single-case designs demonstrated evidence of high rigor and quality with strong positive effects of PMII for participants with ASD (n = 33). Seventy-seven percent of single-case design studies demonstrated a functional relation (i.e., scores of 3 or 4) between PMII and improved social skill outcomes for participants with ASD. Results of multilevel meta-analysis model across 40 cases showed that the overall effect of PMII on increase in social skills for participants with ASD was significant (LRRi = 1.41; SE= 0.15, p < 0.001). Results indicated a moderating effect of type of intervention implementer on the association between PMII and social skills for participants with ASD without intellectual impairments, F(2, 37) = 5.33, p < 0.05. Findings from this meta-analysis address the methodological rigor of single-case research using PMII to increase social skills of participants with ASD and the magnitude of intervention effects of PMII on social interaction skills of participants with ASD.