Friends, Romance, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Peers Developing a Peer Network for Students with Disabilities Marsha Harper & Sherida Gentry Educational Consultants West Ky. Special Education Cooperative

The Benefits of a Peer Tutoring Program Can be developed for fully inclusive or partially inclusive students Can be developed for fully inclusive or partially inclusive students Can be developed to support academics as an integral part of your teaching style. Can be developed to support academics as an integral part of your teaching style. Can be used to promote social skills development in students with ASD. Can be used to promote social skills development in students with ASD.

Qualities to look for in a peer tutor Calm personality; a person who is not easily thrown by unusual reactions or answers to questions. Calm personality; a person who is not easily thrown by unusual reactions or answers to questions. Sense of humor: having humor can help the student with ASD learn how to appreciate jokes and idioms that are used by peers and learn the latest jargon used by the peers. Sense of humor: having humor can help the student with ASD learn how to appreciate jokes and idioms that are used by peers and learn the latest jargon used by the peers.

Qualities to look for in a peer tutor Ability to understand the academic content and teach it to someone else when called upon. Social instruction can be taught in the midst of academic tutoring. Ability to understand the academic content and teach it to someone else when called upon. Social instruction can be taught in the midst of academic tutoring. Ability to deflect teasing by others: This person should be able to handle him/herself when tease by others, so that they can model the strategies used to deflect teasing or protect the student with ASD from begin teased. Someone who can deflect the teasing without having it escalate into troublesome situations. Ability to deflect teasing by others: This person should be able to handle him/herself when tease by others, so that they can model the strategies used to deflect teasing or protect the student with ASD from begin teased. Someone who can deflect the teasing without having it escalate into troublesome situations.

Qualities to look for in a peer tutor Move easily among peers: This person should be able to move within the confines of the typical social network without creating enemies, or setting peers against each other. Move easily among peers: This person should be able to move within the confines of the typical social network without creating enemies, or setting peers against each other. Have many stable friends: with stable friends, this person can offer introduction to other peers outside of the classroom setting. Have many stable friends: with stable friends, this person can offer introduction to other peers outside of the classroom setting.

Qualities to look for in a peer tutor Not easily swayed by the fads, such as ones that may cause the student to experiment in drugs, sex, violence, etc. However, since these topics are openly discussed among peers at this age, parents of the student with ASD should be prepared for questions surrounding these issues. Not easily swayed by the fads, such as ones that may cause the student to experiment in drugs, sex, violence, etc. However, since these topics are openly discussed among peers at this age, parents of the student with ASD should be prepared for questions surrounding these issues. Consistency in personality: Although this may be difficult at this age, it is best to find a peer who does not regularly swing from one extreme to the other with their moods Consistency in personality: Although this may be difficult at this age, it is best to find a peer who does not regularly swing from one extreme to the other with their moods

Qualities to look for in a peer tutor LOOK FOR MATURE, STABLE, INTELLIGENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND ARTICULATE, SOCIABLE PEERS! LOOK FOR MATURE, STABLE, INTELLIGENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND ARTICULATE, SOCIABLE PEERS!

How do I begin? Collaborate with other teachers to assemble a list of candidates. Collaborate with other teachers to assemble a list of candidates. Discuss the option of being a peer tutor with each student and their parent. Discuss the option of being a peer tutor with each student and their parent. Obtain written permission from parents for their child to participate in the program. Obtain written permission from parents for their child to participate in the program. Send the parents a letter that outlines the mission, goals and objectives of the program, as well as, the requirements of the job. (Sample provided) Send the parents a letter that outlines the mission, goals and objectives of the program, as well as, the requirements of the job. (Sample provided)

Training the peer tutors CAUTION: Do not expect them to automatically understand everything! CAUTION: Do not expect them to automatically understand everything! Questions to address: Questions to address: –Why does the student need help? –Is the disability contagious? –Will the student ever get better? –What is the student’s disability (i.e. Down’s Syndrome, Autism, etc.) HINT: Discuss major areas of the disability…DON’T GET TOO SPECIFIC

Training the peer tutors Possible Discussions: Possible Discussions: –Different situations that may arise, and how to handle them. –How to deflect or redirect inappropriate comments or questions. –How to form their own language into sentences that can best be understood by the person that are working with. –Discuss the problems with abstract reasoning and the inability to understand jokes, or other comments. –Discuss what to tell the student when they are perceived as doing something embarrassing. (More of an issues at M.S. and H.S.)

Training the peer tutors BE SURE TO FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF OPEN DIALOG AMONG THE TUTORS AND THE TEACHERS BE SURE TO FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF OPEN DIALOG AMONG THE TUTORS AND THE TEACHERS BE SURE TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER A SITUATION OR PROBLEM WHICH THEY CANNOT HANDLE. BE SURE TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER A SITUATION OR PROBLEM WHICH THEY CANNOT HANDLE. –Let them know when, how and from whom to seek help and assistance.

The Biggest Mistake Believing that the peer can go it alone for the rest of the year, with little intervention from you. Believing that the peer can go it alone for the rest of the year, with little intervention from you. –Tutors will require continual training throughout the year. (Schedule routine meetings among the tutors and the teachers so that a network is established, questions are answered, and updated information and strategies are shared. (Schedule routine meetings among the tutors and the teachers so that a network is established, questions are answered, and updated information and strategies are shared.

Peer Tutor Reinforcement Give your peer tutors reinforcement for spending their time with the student. Give your peer tutors reinforcement for spending their time with the student. Possible Recognition: Possible Recognition: –Letters of commendation sent to parents, put in school records – Occasional notes left for them saying they are doing a good job with a small treat –Possible Course Credit (Will need to be researched and investigated prior to offering this)

CAUTION: Make sure tutors know that it is ok to take breaks from their responsibilities as a peer tutor if it is getting too stressful. Make sure tutors know that it is ok to take breaks from their responsibilities as a peer tutor if it is getting too stressful. NOTE: They need breaks just like we do from challenging students. (Make sure you train sufficient peers to allow for this). I usually train 5-8 depending on the student and situation. NOTE: They need breaks just like we do from challenging students. (Make sure you train sufficient peers to allow for this). I usually train 5-8 depending on the student and situation.

So should we implement a peer tutor program? How you answer this question depends strongly on the student’s profile of autism. How you answer this question depends strongly on the student’s profile of autism. Parents and teachers need to be encouraged to consider this style of programming to supplement and assist the individual and in incidental instruction of social skills. Parents and teachers need to be encouraged to consider this style of programming to supplement and assist the individual and in incidental instruction of social skills. Peers can help the student generalize learned skills into their social world far better than adults can. Peers can help the student generalize learned skills into their social world far better than adults can.

References Taken from Excerpts from: Taken from Excerpts from: Wagner.Sheila, M. Ed. Inclusive programming for middle school students with autism/asperger’s syndrome.