Peer networks are a promising intervention for increasing social interactions between students with severe disabilities and their peers. However, this approach has not been well studied with high school students who have complex communication needs and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In this study, we used a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effectiveness of a lunchtime peer-network intervention for three high school students with autism and/or multiple disabilities who had complex communication needs. The intervention involved recruiting peers, sharing practical background information and modeling how to communicate with the student, and then providing support as needed. A functional relation was established between the introduction of the peer-network intervention and both social interactions and social engagement. Interactions increased substantially across communication modalities. This study builds on the peer-network literature by demonstrating how this approach can be tailored for high school students with complex communication needs.

中文翻译：

---

同伴网络干预对重度残疾和复杂沟通需求的高中生的效果

同伴网络是一种很有前景的干预措施，可以增加严重残疾学生与其同伴之间的社交互动。然而，这种方法尚未在具有复杂交流需求并使用辅助和替代交流 (AAC) 的高中生中得到很好的研究。在这项研究中，我们使用跨参与者设计的多重调查来评估午餐时间同伴网络干预对三名有复杂沟通需求的自闭症和/或多重残疾高中学生的有效性。干预包括招募同伴、分享实际背景信息和建模如何与学生沟通，然后根据需要提供支持。在引入对等网络干预与社会互动和社会参与之间建立了功能关系。跨通信方式的互动大幅增加。本研究以同伴网络文献为基础，展示了如何为具有复杂沟通需求的高中生量身定制这种方法。