Friends, Romance, Friends, Romance, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Countrymen, Lend Me Your

PeersPeers

Developing a Peer Network for Developing a Peer Network for Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities

Marsha Harper & Sherida GentryMarsha Harper & Sherida GentryEducational ConsultantsEducational Consultants

West Ky. Special Education West Ky. Special Education CooperativeCooperative

The Benefits of a Peer Tutoring The Benefits of a Peer Tutoring ProgramProgram

• Can be developed for fully inclusive Can be developed for fully inclusive or partially inclusive studentsor partially inclusive students

• Can be developed to support Can be developed to support academics as an integral part of your academics as an integral part of your teaching style.teaching style.

• Can be used to promote social skills Can be used to promote social skills development in students with ASD.development in students with ASD.

Qualities to look for in a peer Qualities to look for in a peer tutortutor

• Calm personality; a person who is Calm personality; a person who is not easily thrown by unusual not easily thrown by unusual reactions or answers to questions.reactions or answers to questions.

• Sense of humor: having humor can Sense of humor: having humor can help the student with ASD learn how help the student with ASD learn how to appreciate jokes and idioms that to appreciate jokes and idioms that are used by peers and learn the are used by peers and learn the latest jargon used by the peers.latest jargon used by the peers.

Qualities to look for in a peer Qualities to look for in a peer tutortutor• Ability to understand the academic content Ability to understand the academic content

and teach it to someone else when called and teach it to someone else when called upon. Social instruction can be taught in the upon. Social instruction can be taught in the midst of academic tutoring.midst of academic tutoring.

• Ability to deflect teasing by others: This Ability to deflect teasing by others: This person should be able to handle him/herself person should be able to handle him/herself when tease by others, so that they can when tease by others, so that they can model the strategies used to deflect teasing model the strategies used to deflect teasing or protect the student with ASD from begin or protect the student with ASD from begin teased. Someone who can deflect the teased. Someone who can deflect the teasing without having it escalate into teasing without having it escalate into troublesome situations.troublesome situations.

Qualities to look for in a peer Qualities to look for in a peer tutortutor

• Move easily among peers: This person Move easily among peers: This person should be able to move within the should be able to move within the confines of the typical social network confines of the typical social network without creating enemies, or setting without creating enemies, or setting peers against each other. peers against each other.

• Have many stable friends: with stable Have many stable friends: with stable friends, this person can offer friends, this person can offer introduction to other peers outside of introduction to other peers outside of the classroom setting. the classroom setting.

Qualities to look for in a peer Qualities to look for in a peer tutortutor

• Not easily swayed by the fads, such as ones Not easily swayed by the fads, such as ones that may cause the student to experiment in that may cause the student to experiment in drugs, sex, violence, etc. However, since drugs, sex, violence, etc. However, since these topics are openly discussed among these topics are openly discussed among peers at this age, parents of the student with peers at this age, parents of the student with ASD should be prepared for questions ASD should be prepared for questions surrounding these issues.surrounding these issues.

• Consistency in personality: Although this Consistency in personality: Although this may be difficult at this age, it is best to find a may be difficult at this age, it is best to find a peer who does not regularly swing from one peer who does not regularly swing from one extreme to the other with their moodsextreme to the other with their moods

Qualities to look for in a peer Qualities to look for in a peer tutortutor

• LOOK FOR MATURE, STABLE, LOOK FOR MATURE, STABLE, INTELLIGENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND INTELLIGENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND ARTICULATE, SOCIABLE PEERS!ARTICULATE, SOCIABLE PEERS!

How do I begin?How do I begin?

• Collaborate with other teachers to Collaborate with other teachers to assemble a list of candidates.assemble a list of candidates.

• Discuss the option of being a peer tutor Discuss the option of being a peer tutor with each student and their parent.with each student and their parent.

• Obtain written permission from parents for Obtain written permission from parents for their child to participate in the program.their child to participate in the program.

• Send the parents a letter that outlines the Send the parents a letter that outlines the mission, goals and objectives of the mission, goals and objectives of the program, as well as, the requirements of program, as well as, the requirements of the job. (Sample provided)the job. (Sample provided)

Training the peer tutorsTraining the peer tutors

• CAUTION: Do not expect them to CAUTION: Do not expect them to automatically understand everything!automatically understand everything!

• Questions to address:Questions to address:– Why does the student need help?Why does the student need help?– Is the disability contagious?Is the disability contagious?– Will the student ever get better?Will the student ever get better?– What is the student’s disability (i.e. Down’s What is the student’s disability (i.e. Down’s

Syndrome, Autism, etc.) HINT: Discuss major Syndrome, Autism, etc.) HINT: Discuss major areas of the disability…DON’T GET TOO SPECIFICareas of the disability…DON’T GET TOO SPECIFIC

Training the peer tutorsTraining the peer tutors• Possible Discussions:Possible Discussions:

– Different situations that may arise, and how to Different situations that may arise, and how to handle them.handle them.

– How to deflect or redirect inappropriate How to deflect or redirect inappropriate comments or questions.comments or questions.

– How to form their own language into sentences How to form their own language into sentences that can best be understood by the person that that can best be understood by the person that are working with.are working with.

– Discuss the problems with abstract reasoning Discuss the problems with abstract reasoning and the inability to understand jokes, or other and the inability to understand jokes, or other comments.comments.

– Discuss what to tell the student when they are Discuss what to tell the student when they are perceived as doing something embarrassing. perceived as doing something embarrassing. (More of an issues at M.S. and H.S.)(More of an issues at M.S. and H.S.)

Training the peer tutorsTraining the peer tutors

• BE SURE TO FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE BE SURE TO FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF OPEN DIALOG AMONG THE OF OPEN DIALOG AMONG THE TUTORS AND THE TEACHERSTUTORS AND THE TEACHERS

• BE SURE TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY BE SURE TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER SHOULD DO WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER A SITUATION OR PROBLEM WHICH A SITUATION OR PROBLEM WHICH THEY CANNOT HANDLE.THEY CANNOT HANDLE.– Let them know when, how and from Let them know when, how and from

whom to seek help and assistance.whom to seek help and assistance.

The Biggest MistakeThe Biggest Mistake

• Believing that the peer can go it alone Believing that the peer can go it alone for the rest of the year, with little for the rest of the year, with little intervention from you. intervention from you. – Tutors will require continual training Tutors will require continual training

throughout the year. throughout the year. •(Schedule routine meetings among the tutors (Schedule routine meetings among the tutors

and the teachers so that a network is and the teachers so that a network is established, questions are answered, and established, questions are answered, and updated information and strategies are updated information and strategies are shared.shared.

Peer Tutor ReinforcementPeer Tutor Reinforcement• Give your peer tutors reinforcement for Give your peer tutors reinforcement for

spending their time with the student.spending their time with the student.

• Possible Recognition:Possible Recognition:– Letters of commendation sent to parents, put in Letters of commendation sent to parents, put in

school recordsschool records– Occasional notes left for them saying they are doing Occasional notes left for them saying they are doing

a good job with a small treata good job with a small treat– Possible Course Credit (Will need to be researched Possible Course Credit (Will need to be researched

and investigated prior to offering this)and investigated prior to offering this)

CAUTION: CAUTION:

• Make sure tutors know that it is ok to Make sure tutors know that it is ok to take breaks from their responsibilities take breaks from their responsibilities as a peer tutor if it is getting too as a peer tutor if it is getting too stressful. stressful.

NOTE: They need breaks just like we do NOTE: They need breaks just like we do from challenging students. (Make sure from challenging students. (Make sure you train sufficient peers to allow for you train sufficient peers to allow for this). I usually train 5-8 depending on this). I usually train 5-8 depending on the student and situation.the student and situation.

So should we implement a So should we implement a peer tutor program?peer tutor program?

• How you answer this question depends How you answer this question depends strongly on the student’s profile of autism.strongly on the student’s profile of autism.

• Parents and teachers need to be encouraged Parents and teachers need to be encouraged to consider this style of programming to to consider this style of programming to supplement and assist the individual and in supplement and assist the individual and in incidental instruction of social skills.incidental instruction of social skills.

• Peers can help the student generalize Peers can help the student generalize learned skills into their social world far better learned skills into their social world far better than adults can.than adults can.

ReferencesReferences

• Taken from Excerpts from:Taken from Excerpts from:

Wagner.Sheila, M. Ed. Wagner.Sheila, M. Ed. Inclusive Inclusive programming for middle school programming for middle school students with autism/asperger’s students with autism/asperger’s syndrome.syndrome.