“This book contains all the steps and lesson plans needed to implement PEERspective in your school.

The dually beneficial model is an asset both to students with high-functioning autism and to their peer

coaches. The author’s years of experience in the classroom have led to tried-and-true outcomes that can

be achieved by anyone with a passion to help students improve and generalize social skills for successful

participation in school, the community, and life beyond high school. Utilizing 21 evidence-based

practices and authentic exposure through typical high school activities such as trips to the mall, school

dances, football games and movie theaters, PEERspective allows students to come together both in and

out of the school environment for additional opportunities to practice skills learned in the class and

apply them to real-life.

Heather J. Bridgman, MS, ATP, assistive technology consultant, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence; coauthor of the award-winning book Show Me! A Teacher’s Guide to Video Modeling

Why Didn’t They Just Say That? furnishes any middle or high school educator with the tools needed to

implement the PEERspective class model into their own schools. My hope is that it will lead to

widespread use of the PEERspective class idea throughout the country as I have watched it provide

invaluable life lessons to both my daughter with ASD and my neurotypical children who have taken the

class. Specifically, I have witnessed how personal growth, increased self-esteem, and improved

interpersonal skills resulting from this model bring happiness and feelings of belonging to students who

have largely never experienced any of these attributes. I cannot say enough about the positive

difference the PEERspective class has made in my daughter’s life in addition to our family as a whole.”

Audrey Ernst, BA, JD; parent of HFA student and neurotypical student who have completed PEERspective host of PEERspective and SCC event

“PEERspective is a unique model that facilitates social skill development and peer-mediated intervention

using evidence-based best practices with a focus on students with high-functioning autism. The book

includes practical tips on how to get started, along with a detailed eight-unit curriculum guide, taking

the guesswork out of replicating the program. By themselves, the handouts and evidence-based

strategies described in the book can be adapted and used by special educators and speech-language

pathologists as part of their intervention. Schmidt’s insights into and commitment to her students spring

from every page as she shares drawings, quotes, and case stories help the reader better understand not

only the challenges, but also the insight and gifts her students give back. I would love to see more high

schools using this comprehensive and Gear Up for Success: A Three-Tiered Planning Model for Supporting Learners on the Autism Spectrum