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Forum References FAQ's Quiz Lecture Introduction Circle of Friends Tub

This idea comes from Special Kids and Involved Parents in Portage, Wisconsin. (Cooperative Educational Service Agency 5, CESA 5, in Portage,Wisconsin) The tub was developed to provide materials and resource ideas to individuals who will be creating and incorporating the Circle of Friends process. (You can make your own “tub” based on your student.) The tubs are distrubuted to interested facilitators in the school district who are beginning a circle. The tub contains a variety of materials such as activity books (i.e., The Peaceful Classroom), videos (i.e., Have A Friend; Circle of Friends), books for children (i.e., Andy and His Yellow Frisbee; The Rainbow Fish,) cassette tapes (i.e., All Live Together), and other instructional materials that may be used for circles. To develop your own Circle of Friends Tub, refer to the checklist (See Figure 2) and purchase list (See Figure 3). If you need more clarification, you may also visit their web site at www.cesa5.k12.wi.us/SKIP.

Role-Playing / Rehearsing

Role-playing is useful for practicing the social skills children with ASD are struggling with. Since children with ASD do not practice these skills enough to use them naturally, they lack the ability to “perform” them when the situation arises. Therefore, rehearsing these social rules prior to situations occurring is extremely beneficial. Role-playing can be based on a concept you would like the child to develop, such as practicing for a visit to the BookMobile. Social stories (click here to learn more about this) can also be used for these situations by describing a social situation and the appropriate response to the situation

Similarities

Helping students understand more about each other and the way their friends learn is key to having successful circles. There are many activities that can be used to teach peers about things the group has in common (i.e., all students in 4th grade, all students who are going to the Zoo on Friday) including commonalities with the student with ASD. The Wisconsin School Inclusion Project suggests using "Get Acquainted" activities (i.e., Classmobile, Classy Tree) to facilitate this idea. The Classmobile activity involves each child bringing a photograph of himself and making a mobile with the group. The Classmobile becomes a springboard for communicating and learning about each new friend as well as a means to learn the names of peers in the group. These activities can be placed in a tub created for individual groups or could be used for whole class activities. Classy Trees is another example of a good activity so children can get acquainted with each other. This activity consists of children tracing around their hands and then placing those construction paper hands on a large tree branch (brought in by the facilitator). Just as branches are part of one tree, these peers are part of one group/class, which belongs together. Both of these activities are taken from A Peaceful Classroom, an excellent resource for small group activities. An activity as simple as each child in the circle, sharing a favorite food or television show with the rest of the circle can help children learn about each other and find interests in common.

Commercial Games

Many social/friendships skills can also be learned through commercial games. This is often a good option because most kids already have games in their home and would have them available when an opportunity arose to play with another child or adult. For example, children can learn to take turns, wait on a friend, and handle losing a round, keeping score and talking while playing. Older, or more advanced students might enjoy writing, directing, and acting in a small play. Older students might also participate with their Circle in the community. For example, they could do a volunteer project together at a local retirement home. Although these kinds of activities and skills seem second nature to most kids, they need to be practiced and learned (possibly by direct teaching) by students with ASD. It is beneficial to add activities to the list of recreation/leisure options students with ASD. By adding new games, craft ideas, and simple cooking recipes as time goes on, you will be increasing exposure to new and different activities in a safe, predictable environment.

 

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