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The Impact of the PEAK Curriculum on Standardized Measures of Intelligence: A Systems Level Randomized Control Trial

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Abstract

Objectives

The present study examined the effects of the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) curriculum on standardized measures of intelligence and PEAK pre-assessment scores participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Methods

Direct support staff at a specialized school for students with special needs implemented teaching programs from either the PEAK curriculum (n = 26) or the standard academic curriculum (n = 26) using a randomized control design over one semester.

Results

Statistically significant change scores were observed in raw IQ on two of three sub-scales, vocabulary and information, and full-scale IQ in a sub-group of participants that scored above the floor of the IQ test at either baseline or following intervention. Statistically significant improvements were also observed in PEAK pre-assessment scores in participants in the PEAK group compared to the control group.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that the PEAK curriculum has the potential to positively impact standardized measures of intelligence when implemented for a relatively short period of time by direct support level personnel. These results are especially important given the widespread use of IQ tests to determine placement and eligibility criteria for individuals with special needs.

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Acknowledgements

At the time of this program evaluation, Brandon K. May had no affiliation with Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. The authors thank Mark R. Dixon for his thoughtful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript and SIU graduate students for their assistance in assessment procedures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Great Circle, 330 N. Gore Ave, Webster Groves, MO, 63119, USA

    Brandon K. May & Jenna St. Cyr

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  1. Brandon K. May
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Contributions

BKM: designed and executed the study, completed the data analyses, and wrote the paper. JS: collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brandon K. May.

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Compliance with Ethical Standards

Informed consent and assent were obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Human and Animal Rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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May, B.K., St. Cyr, J. The Impact of the PEAK Curriculum on Standardized Measures of Intelligence: A Systems Level Randomized Control Trial. Adv Neurodev Disord 5, 245–255 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-021-00199-6

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