Despite increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) being educated alongside typically developing peers, peers’ attitudes towards students with ASD are often negative. The Kit for Kids (KfK) was developed by the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) in order to provide evidence-based educational messages to peers to improve peers’ knowledge, initial attitudes, and behavior towards students with ASD. The proposed research aims to conduct an initial evaluation of (a) the usability of the KfK materials in classrooms, (b) the efficacy of the KfK materials in improving peers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions towards an unfamiliar student with autism, and (c) the usefulness of the KfK materials for a small number of students with ASD in authentic general education settings. The research plan will consist of three phases: (a) Phase I will consist of a small feasibility study conducted with four classrooms, (b) Phase II will consist of a larger analogue study conducted with approximately 40 classrooms, and (c) Phase III will consist of a small effectiveness study with approximately four students with ASD. Data collection will occur across two sites and qualitative (Phase I) and quantitative analyses (Phases II and III) will be utilized in the research plan.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
