Differential Effects of Peer Presence Variations during Embedded Instruction for Preschoolers with Intensive Needs

A single-case parallel treatments design was used to compare the effects of embedded instruction when provided with peers present and peers absent in an inclusive preschool classroom. Three children exhibiting delays across multiple domains of development participated. Results indicated that both peer presence variations were effective, and neither was consistently superior for any examined outcome measure. Implications of this finding suggest that when teachers plan for embedded instruction, concerns and considerations about the presence of peers may not be warranted. For teachers working in classrooms with high staff to child ratios, this finding may be particularly welcomed given assumed difficulties in planning for and conducting one-on-one instruction with limited adult support to oversee large numbers of children engaged in other activities (osf.io/9yv37/).