Classwide Peer Tutoring in Physical Education: Assessing Its Effects as an Inclusion Strategy with Kindergartners with Autismn

Abstract

Researchers, textbooks authors, and educational policy makers recommend peer tutoring as an inclusion strategy for students with autism. However, there is little, if any, research supporting these recommendations in physical education. We assessed the effects of classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) in teaching catching skills to two typically developing peers and two children diagnosed with autism in kindergarten. A single subject withdrawal design assessed the effects of CWPT on total catches and correct catches. Results show that CWPT improved total and correct catches for the two students with autism. The results for the typically developing peers were mixed. These findings, while requiring further research, provide initial evidence to support CWPT as an inclusion strategy for children with autism in physical education.