A Model of Support
A common characteristic of individuals with Autism is difficulty with social interaction. Generally, students who have lower communicative competence have less opportunities to interact with others. Therefore, this program will strive to offer social opportunities to help reinforce successful interactions and build confidence. Social opportunities will focus on enhancing join attention, symbol use, and emotional regulation to ensure effective transitioning and self-regulation.
Lunch
Students will eat lunch in the cafeteria and go to recess alongside their typically developing peers.
Student Ambassadors
The students will participate in an Ambassador program. Typically developing students will visit the classroom once a week for forty minutes. This will take place during leisure time and will increase the social skills of both typically developing and developmentally delayed students.
Field Trips/ Community Outings
Students in the program will participate all appropriate field trips that their grade takes. The program will take community outings at least once a month to places such as the public library, park, Post Office, etc.
Social Stories
Social Stories will be introduced prior to every new social meeting with peers and/or adults, field trips, as well as any other new experience.