Using Structural Analysis to Inform Peer Support Arrangements for High School Students With Severe Disabilities

Area of Science:

• Special Education
• Disability Studies
• Classroom Interventions

Background:

• Students with severe disabilities often require substantial support in general education classrooms.
• Exclusive paraprofessional support may limit social interaction and peer engagement opportunities.
• Alternative support structures are needed to foster inclusion and improve outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate peer support arrangements as an alternative to paraprofessional support for students with severe disabilities.
• To explore the utility of structural analysis in refining these peer support interventions.
• To assess the impact on social outcomes and academic engagement.

Main Methods:

• Three high school students with severe disabilities participated in the study.
• Peer support arrangements were implemented as an alternative to direct paraprofessional support.
• Structural analysis was used to inform data-based adaptations of the interventions.

Main Results:

• Peer support arrangements led to substantial increases in social outcomes for all participants.
• Academic engagement was maintained or modestly improved across participants.
• Structural analysis provided insights for adapting interventions, with varied effects on social responses and academic engagement for individual students.

Conclusions:

• Peer support arrangements offer a viable alternative to exclusive paraprofessional support, enhancing social outcomes for students with severe disabilities.
• Structural analysis can be a valuable tool for tailoring interventions to individual student needs within inclusive classrooms.
• Further research is warranted to optimize the use of structural analysis for maximizing intervention effectiveness.