Propel Project - Combining the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction and Peer Supports: Examining the Impact on Academic, Social, and Functional Outcomes for Students with Autism
Project Description
This study examined 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 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 autism in secondary schools.
In the comprehensive SDLMI + PS intervention evaluated in this project, the SDLMI was used to engage youth with autism in the process of identifying academic and social goals to be achieved in the general education classroom, and PS was used to enable peers to deliver supports to promote progress toward those goals in the general education classroom.
Project Impacts
The Propel Project partnered with schools across Kansas, Missouri, and North Carolina to deliver SDLMI, PS, and combined interventions. The SDLMI supported autistic youth to set and go after their own academic, social, and transition to adulthood goals. PS facilitated peer-to-peer supports to promote progress toward these goals in the general education classroom. The combined SDLMI+PS was designed to enhance outcomes in both areas and provide general educators with supports to enable all students to learn about goal setting in the general education classroom.
The Propel Project engaged:
- 15 Districts
- 32 Schools
- 95 Teachers
- 152 Students
Using the Propel Project interventions, and supported by educators and peers, students went after their goals and monitored and reflected on their progress throughout the school year. Students set academic, social, and transition goals on topics like:
