Staying on Task: Use of Self-Monitoring and Peer Coaching to Support Inclusive Postsecondary Education

Although applications (apps) for technology-based self-monitoring have received little attention in the literature for college-level students with intellectual disability (ID) in inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs at institutions of higher education, novel tools regularly arrive and are applied within current support structures. I-Connect, a smartphone or web-based self-monitoring tool, has the potential to be an important instrument for promoting independence and access to inclusive academic and workplace environments. The current study used a multi-treatment A-B-A-B-C withdrawal single-case design to determine the effects of peer coaching and a smartphone-based self-monitoring app on the on-task behavior of a college student with autism and intellectual disability. Measurement included the impact of the I-Connect app and peer tutoring in combination with the app and the social validity of the intervention. Findings demonstrated a functional relation for the use of I-Connect with some limitations. The data showed promise for the addition of peer support and were confirmed by a social validity measure. The combination of technology-based self-monitoring supports with the peer supports typically available in inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs can potentially increase key self-determination outcomes. The authors discuss further implications and suggestions for confirming these findings in subsequent inquiries.