Randomized Evaluation of Peer Support Arrangements to Support the Inclusion of High School Students With Severe Disabilities

TLDR

Research, legislation, and advocacy have long focused on improving the social and learning experiences of students with severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms. The study employed a randomized controlled design in which paraprofessionals recruited, trained, and supported 106 peers to provide individualized academic and social assistance to 51 high‑school students with severe disabilities over one semester. Students receiving peer support exhibited increased peer interactions, academic engagement, progress on social goals, social participation, and new friendships—many of which persisted for one to two semesters—demonstrating the efficacy and social validity of peer support as an alternative to paraprofessional assistance.

Abstract

Enhancing the social and learning experiences of students with severe disabilities in inclusive classrooms has been a long-standing focus of research, legislative, and advocacy efforts. The authors used a randomized controlled experimental design to examine the efficacy of peer support arrangements to improve academic and social outcomes for 51 students with severe disabilities in high school general education classrooms. Paraprofessionals or special educators recruited, trained, and supported 106 peers to provide individualized academic and social assistance to students with severe disabilities throughout one semester. Compared to students exclusively receiving adult-delivered support ( n = 48), students participating in peer support arrangements experienced increased interactions with peers, increased academic engagement, more progress on individualized social goals, increased social participation, and a greater number of new friendships. Moreover, an appreciable proportion of relationships lasted one and two semesters later after the intervention had concluded. These findings challenge prevailing practices for supporting inclusive education and establish the efficacy and social validity of peer support arrangements as a promising alternative to individually assigned paraprofessional support.