Peer to Peer Programs at SchoolPeer support in the classroom goes beyond the good teaching practice of partnering students up. Knowing that individuals with ASD struggle with initiating, it is essential that peers be trained. Trainings may look different: they may cover ASD information, weaknesses & strengths for the student with ASD, knowledge of behaviors, and how to react. Research has shown that the mentors also receive benefits from the partnership: growth in academic GPA, increased attendance, and decreased office referrals. Peer to peer programs can be utilized for a tier two intervention for general education students. Click on the button below to see the outcomes.
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Help them make connections with typical peers by exposing them to activities and topics that other kids their age enjoy. This will give them a solid foundation in which to connect and play with other children. Social skills and independence are the most important skills a child with autism can learn. Research has found for ALL students, it is not the academics but the social and independent skills that lead to employment, which in turn leads to a higher reported quality of life. START has created a great resource to guide families and IEP teams in setting goals for "typical experiences"- click on the PASSPORT icon below to read more on PASSPORT's.
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Teach play so that your child has some activities mastered in which they can then partake with peers. When playing with other children, research has shown that a child can focus on learning social skills better if they have already mastered the play that the two children are engaging in together. Scripting play using visuals is a great way to get started with teaching play. Research has shown that scripted play does eventually lead to an increase in spontaneous play. Click here to visit a complete and fully detailed resource from ErinoaKid Center. Consider the following areas of social play:
Utilize video modeling to teach play! Below are some great sites to check out of already done videos. If there are certain games or toys you would like as a video, create your own. You can utilize other kids to create this video or do it first person. The following are examples of some great resources you can find by searching the web:
1. recently came out with resources to support teaching play. Click hereto check out their "Toybox Tool" site. YouTube has a wealth of resources: 2. YouTube channel Teach2Talk, with Jenny McCarthy, has some simple play basics, often using toys that you may already have. Visit by clicking here. 3.Splash Games (another YouTube channel) has many social interaction games that children can watch- including traditional ones such as "Duck, Duck, Goose". Check it out by clicking here. |