Better Together: Peer Coaching to Strengthen Autism Support in Rural Schools

ABSTRACT Rural schools often face limited access to evidence‐based autism services, making sustainable models of support essential. This study evaluated a peer‐coaching adaptation of the Collaborative Model for Promoting Competence and Success (COMPASS) to improve intervention implementation for students with autism in rural special education settings. Using a single‐case design, two teacher dyads, three students, and their caregivers participated in consultation and peer‐led coaching sessions focused on individualized social communication, engagement, and classroom participation goals. Goal attainment scaling (GAS) was used to monitor student progress. All students demonstrated improvement from baseline to intervention, with effect sizes indicating meaningful gains. Teachers and caregivers generally rated the peer‐coaching model as acceptable, though some teachers reported challenges related to limited time and competing responsibilities. Findings suggest that peer coaching may serve as a feasible, cost‐effective complement to consultation. These findings highlight how peer coaching may serve as a model that school psychologists can help support within their consultation and capacity‐building roles in rural schools.