Lunch Bunch

Evidence Based Practice

Peer mediated intervention (PMI) is an effective practice used to support social communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. In PMI, typically developing peers model appropriate social initiations, interactions, and responses, and the children with autism spectrum disorder can learn and practice their newly acquired social strategies while interacting with their peers (Chang et al., 2016).

1. Select target peers to participate

2. Select skills to target for the student with ASD participating (staying on topic with peers)

3. Select location (separate table in the lunchroom, classroom, library, etc.)

4. Facilitate instruction on the targeted goals through purposeful inclusion of student(s) with ASD in conversation during lunchtime (turn taking)

   • Create a topic box to pull a topic each time to discuss

   • Students must talk about things related to the topic chosen.  

5. Take data and provide reinforcement for target behaviors.

6. Play games when time permits.

7. Students return to their classes when the bell rings.

Example Goals:

In 6 months, __________ will engage in appropriate turn- taking skills by attending to peer’s turn and waiting for his turn with no more than 1 verbal prompting, with 80%  accuracy across 3 observable sessions measured by an SLP.

In 6 months, __________ will increase conversation skills to stick to the topic at hand during discussion at Lunch Bunch, with no more than 2 verbal promptings, with 80% accuracy across 3 observable sessions measured by an SLP.

Data Collection Tool: This is a useful data collection tool with a column for information on prompting and a column for general notes/comments.

References: 

Chang, Y.-C., & Locke, J. (2016). A systematic review of peer-mediated interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 27, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2016.03.010

Free Data Sheets round-up. Speechy Musings. (2021, October 28). Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://speechymusings.com/2016/12/09/free-data-sheets-round-up/

Hayes D. (2013). The use of prompting as an evidence-based strategy to support children with ASD in school settings in New Zealand. Kairaranga,14(2), https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1025644.pdf

Prompt hierarchy. LessonPix. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://lessonpix.com/materials/7282515/Prompt+Hierarchy

Teach social skills in school using lunch bunch. Teach Social Skills in School Using Lunch Bunch - Kentucky Autism Training Center. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://louisville.edu/education/kyautismtraining/news/news-item-1