Combining the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction and Peer Supports: Examining the Impact on Academic, Social, and Functional Outcomes for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study will examine the initial efficacy of a comprehensive intervention combining two research-based interventions, the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) and Peer Supports (PS), on academic, social, and functional outcomes for secondary students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in inclusive general education classrooms. Efficacy studies of the SDLMI and PS have been conducted separately, establishing impacts on outcomes for students with disabilities. However, each intervention has unique features that, if combined, has the potential to more comprehensively address the complex needs of youth with ASD in secondary schools. In the comprehensive SDLMI + PS intervention evaluated in this project, the SDLMI will be used to engage youth with ASD in the process of identifying academic and social goals to be achieved in the general education classroom, and PS will be used to enable peers to deliver supports to promote progress toward those goals in the general education classroom.