Peer-Training Program: Disability Awareness in Inclusive Settings at the Elementary Level

Abstract

Students with disabilities had been included in the general education environment at Wellington Elementary School in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin. However, such students were not experiencing social and behavioral success in the classroom. The research asked: When exposed to a Peer-Training Program (PTP) as it relates to a classmate with a specific disability, will the number of interactions increase between general education students and their peers with disabilities. The researcher developed a PTP to educate general education peers about their classmates with disabilities. The PTP provided information and strategies for the general education peers to utilize within the classroom to increase the frequency of interaction between themselves and their peer with disabilities. In this single-subject, pre- and post-test quantitative research, observations and surveys were used to gather data related to the frequency and quality of interactions. Given the limited opportunities for observation in this research, the findings were inconclusive as to whether or not the PTP was effective in increasing the frequency of interaction between students with disabilities and their general education peers. Future application of PTPs for the purpose of improving social and behavioral adjustment within the general education setting is suggested.