Peer-mediated instruction

Peer-mediated instruction (PMI) is an approach in special education 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 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 disorders.

A student or students will be chosen from the target student's classroom to serve as a peer tutor. Garrison-Harrell et al. (as cited in Chan et al., 2009) suggested a systematic way to choosing the peers to be involved in the treatment based on social status and teacher judgment. Students were asked to list three peers they would like to play with on the playground, three peers they would invite to a party, and three peers they consider to be good friends. 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. Other methods for training could include visual aids, reinforcement for correct implementation, instruction manuals and video instructions. 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).

There are advantages of using PMI as an intervention strategy. First, there is never a shortage of peers to use, especially when implementing an intervention in a school or classroom. Second, students are influenced through observational learning by what they see their peers doing. Third, students are often less intimidated by a peer than they are a teacher, which makes instruction and feedback from peers potentially more effective. Fourth, it may not only offer short-term intervention benefits, but can also strengthen the target student's social ties within the classroom. Finally, research has been done with many different types of learners, including students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which show that PMI may be effective for a wide range of students (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2005; Flood, Wilder, Flood & Masuda, 2002).

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