{{Citation style, date=June 2023 Peer-mediated instruction (PMI) is an approach in

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

where peers of the target students are trained to provide necessary tutoring in educational, behavioral, and/or social concerns.(Chan et al., 2009). In PMI, peers may mediate by modeling appropriate behavior themselves, using prompting procedures to elicit appropriate behavior from the target students, and reinforcing appropriate behavior when it occurs. The peer tutors are chosen from the target students' classrooms, trained to mediate and closely observed during mediation. Among the advantages noted to the technique, it takes advantage of the positive potential of

peer pressure Peer pressure is a direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests and experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person's beliefs, values, religion and beh ...

and may integrate target students more fully in their peer group. Conversely, it is time-consuming to implement and presents challenges in making sure that the peers follow proper techniques. However, studies have suggested it may be an effective technique for a wide range of students, including those with

autism spectrum Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

disorders.

Procedure

A student or students will be chosen from the target student's classroom to serve as a peer tutor. Teachers reviewed the top candidates, and selected the tutors based on social skills, language skills, school attendance and classroom behavior. The student or students chosen as peers must be properly coached before the peer relationship begins, both to understand the importance of the intervention and the methods which should be used. Instructors may model behaviors to the peer tutors and may role play with the peer tutors, allowing the peer tutors to experience both parts in the PMI relationship. Once the PMI relationship begins, the teacher provides on-going feedback, watching the peer at all times while the intervention is being used. (Chan et al., 2009). Research has been done with many different types of learners, including students with

learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficulty ...

, behavior disorders and

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...

, which show that PMI may be effective for a wide range of students (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2005; Flood, Wilder, Flood & Masuda, 2002). In 2009, ''Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders'' published a paper by Chan ''et al.'' that concluded that PMI is a potentially effective intervention approach for students with Autism disorders.

References

#Chan, J.M., Lang, R., Rispoli, M., O’Reilly, M., Sigafoos, J., Cole, H. (2009). "Use of peer-mediated interventions in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review." ''Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders'', 3, 876–889. #Flood, W.A., Wilder, D.A., Flood, A.L., Masuda, A. (2002). "Peer-mediated reinforcement plus prompting as treatment for off-task behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." ''Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis'', 35(2), 199–204. #Fuchs, D. & Fuchs, L. (2005). "Peer-assisted learning strategies: Promoting word recognition, fluency, and reading comprehension in young children." ''Journal of Special Education'', 39, 34–44. #Hall, T., & Stegila, A. (2003). Peer mediated instruction and intervention. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Educational practices Peer learning Special education

Procedure

See also

References