title: Evaluation of a Decision-Making Curriculum for Teaching Adolescents with Disabilities to Resist Negative Peer Pressure.
abstract: This study was designed to assess the impact of a decision-making curriculum (PEER-DM) on the social peer relationship knowledge and self-protective decision-making skills of adolescents with disabilities in hypothetical situations involving negative peer pressure. A randomized design was used to assign students with disabilities from self-contained special education classes to an intervention group (n = 22) or a wait-list control group (n = 20). ANCOVA analyses, using pretest scores as covariates, indicated that students who were trained on PEER-DM had significantly higher effective decision-making action and correct risk perception scores, relative to participants in the control group. This study provides supporting evidence that PEER-DM is a promising intervention for students with disabilities, including those with identified autism spectrum disorders, during transition years to help them develop a better understanding of positive and negative peer relationships and learn systematic decision-making skills for improved handling of social situations in the school and community, especially situations involving negative peer pressure. The study adds credence to using systematic, strategy-based decision making interventions designed to address the cognitive, emotional and motivational processes underlying adolescent decision making in sensitive interpersonal situations involving peer pressure. The study points to the lack of preparedness to handle situations of negative peer pressure as a serious social and health risk for adolescents with disabilities that deserves urgent and concerted attention in transition services programming. Implications for future curriculum-development efforts and replication of treatment findings are discussed. Future research examining disability-specific patterns of decision-making in peer situations and comparisons with typically developing populations is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Education Specialties, School of Education, St. John's University, Sullivan Hall Room 412, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA. khemkai@stjohns.edu.
authors.forename: Ishita
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khemka
authors.affiliation: Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickson
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, College of Education, University of Maryland, 3942 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mallory
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D000067074:Peer Influence; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents with disabilities; Autism spectrum disorders; Curriculum intervention; Decision making; Negative peer pressure