Effectiveness of a Peer-Mediated Intervention on Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Maedeh Mirzaei Malati; Razieh Ghodrati Dizbani; Maryam Tahmasebi; Maryam Samandari Matouf

Authors

Maedeh Mirzaei Malati Department of Psychology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2773-3402
Razieh Ghodrati Dizbani Department of Health Psychology, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2606-3092
Maryam Tahmasebi Department of Clinical Psychology, La.C., Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0528-1572
Maryam Samandari Matouf Department of Psychology, La.C., Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0895-6228

Keywords:

autism spectrum disorder, social responsiveness, peer-mediated intervention, social skills

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a peer-mediated intervention in improving social skills among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, a control group, and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of six-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder who attended a psychological center in Rasht, Iran, in 2026. From this population, 30 children were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2), was used as the primary assessment instrument, while the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, Third Edition (GARS-3), was employed for diagnostic screening and verification of eligibility criteria. The experimental group participated in 12 sessions of a peer-mediated intervention, each lasting 40 minutes, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Bonferroni post hoc test. The results indicated that Social Responsiveness Scale scores in the experimental group decreased from pretest to posttest, and this reduction was largely maintained at the two-month follow-up. In contrast, changes in the control group were limited. Furthermore, the difference between the experimental group’s posttest and follow-up scores was not statistically significant. Peer-mediated intervention may be considered a supportive approach for reducing social responsiveness difficulties and enhancing opportunities for social interaction among children with autism spectrum disorder. However, further studies with larger samples and longer follow-up periods are needed to examine the durability and generalizability of its effects.

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