Peer to Peer Support Guidelines at the Elementary Level

Peer to Peer Support Guidelines at the Elementary Level

Peer support is well-documented as an evidence-based practice for students with ASD (National Standards Project, 2010). The purpose of peer to peer support programs is to provide increased opportunities for students with ASD to access general education students and the general education curriculum. Peers model typical academic and social behavior in educational environments throughout the school day and provide support for students with ASD to promote independence and socialization. Peers, in return, gain increased skills in organization, responsibility, problem solving, decision-making, and accountability (Carter, Cushing, & Kennedy, 2009).

Peer to peer support is teaching general education students about ASD and helping them understand specific students with ASD in the building. This allows the general education students to provide support and develop friendships with their peers with ASD. Peer support gives students with ASD an opportunity to practice social skills across educational settings and with multiple peers, and therefore gain competency in natural environments.

How to approach building administrators and staff about developing a peer to peer support program at the elementary level?

Start Small – Pilot this program with one or two students with ASD. Select the peer to peer support students from one or two of the general education classrooms.Have the research with you when approaching administration:

“Peer mediated instruction and intervention has been shown to have positive effects on academic, interpersonal and personal-social development and may be the largest and most empirically supported type of social intervention for learners with ASD.” You can share the Focus on Results article written by START focused on Peer to Peer (see the START website at www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter --> Peer to Peer page).

Also, take data to the meeting. Collect the current number of social contacts the student with ASD has with his/her same-aged peers during lunch, recess, and class time. Explain that you would like to increase those social interactions through the use of peer to peer support program.

Once you initiate the development of a program, make sure you follow through on what you say you are going to do. If you agreed to talk to the 4th grade classes on Wednesday at 11:00am, make sure you or one of your team members is prepared with presentation and materials. Initial impressions are important to get buy-in.

How do you approach families of the students with ASD at the elementary level?

Most families understand the significance of social skill development for their child with ASD. Make sure to explain that the team will be teaching the peer to peer supports about ASD and specifically about their child. It is sometimes helpful to have parents or other family members present information to the peers along with the school team. The family has information that the school personnel may not. They know their child best. If there is concern from families, it is usually because they were not included in the process or they are worried that the peers may make fun of their child if they have information. Reassure the family that this rarely happens and most peer support students increase empathy with information about a child with ASD.

How do you approach families of the peer to peer students?

In most cases, the families are informed through a permission slip agreeing to allow their child to be in the peer to peer support program (an example of the permission slip is below). Another avenue for approaching the families of the peer to peer support students is through the PTA.

Where do we find students to be peer to peer supports?

Same-aged Peers

Elementary aged students – These are students in the building and may be in the same grade or a higher grade.

Cross-aged Peers

Middle School – Must be within walking distance or have transportation available.

High School – Must be within walking distance or some high school student could drive to the elementary building. Since high school students are released from school earlier than elementary, they may come after school.

Alternative High School – These students are an underutilized resource who may come for two hour blocks. Work closely with the elementary principal if using alternative high school students.

How do I develop the schedule?

Developing and implementing a formal peer to peer support program at the Elementary Level first requires the examination of a typical elementary school schedule. This is because there are not specific times for specific instruction and there is not a bell to move students from one classroom to another because typical elementary classrooms do not have multiple teachers for multiple subjects.

Implementing a peer to peer support program at the elementary level requires a creative understanding of the schedule. The Elementary Schedule is typically organized into three parts: AM Schedule (This includes the academics and specials that occur during the morning time frame) For example: the school day starts at 9:00am. There is approximately a 2 ½ hour block for the morning instruction 9:00-11:40am. The mid part of the day is devoted to Lunch and Recess. There is typically 1 ½ hours devoted to Lunch and Recess. In most schools the upper elementary students (3, 4, and 5th Grade) will go to recess first and lunch second and lower elementary students (K, 1 and 2nd Grade) will eat lunch first and then go to recess 11:40am – 1:00pm. The PM Schedule (This includes the academics and specials that occur during the afternoon time frame) There is approximately a 2 ½ hour block for the afternoon instruction 1:00pm - 3:40pm. The reason the implementer of the peer to peer support program must understand the complexities of the elementary schedule is that peer to peer support can happen in any of those time frames. Peer to peer support can happen in the special or general education setting, at lunch and recess and during specials. Peer to peer support can also happen with cross age and/or same aged students depending on the needs of the student with ASD.

The times may vary, but below is an example of an elementary school schedule:

For the purpose of this document, there are 6 students with ASD at the Lower Elementary Level and 6 students with ASD at the Upper Elementary Level. Each student with ASD has an opportunity for integration into the general education classroom for 50% of the day, although when lunch, recess and opposite integration specials are added the student with ASD may spend a considerable amount more time with his grade level peers with Peer to Peer support from Cross-aged Peers.

Elementary Peer to Peer Support Programs can take on many different forms:

Same-age peers can be utilized as peer to peer supports in four different capacities:

1. In Class Support – Same-age peers can provide support in the general education classroom. The age of the students will determine the level of support. The Kindergarten – 2nd Grade students will be there as models; they are there to participate in the instruction and model the appropriate responses to the expectations from the General Education Teacher. The 3rd-5th grade students have the same responsibility as above: To participate and model the appropriate responses to the expectations from the general education teacher, and they can also support the student with ASD during special projects, computer time, classroom parties, student of the day, line up, hallway passing, classroom jobs, etc.
2. Lunch – Same-age peers can provide support at lunch. At the elementary level, there should be two peer to peer support students with each student with ASD each day. An alternate peer support should be assigned every day in the event that a peer is absent. An example lunch schedule is provided below:

Lunch is important to elementary students because they are learning how to socialize. That is why at the elementary level, the student’s rotate as Lunch peers weekly. Many times staff will put the same peer with the student with ASD everyday. Peers may“burn-out” if they aren’t given opportunities to have a more flexible lunch schedule some days. Peers should be encouraged to include the student with ASD in peer network during lunch.

1. Recess - Same-age peers can provide support at recess. At the elementary level, there should be two peer to peer support students with each student with ASD each day. An alternate peer support should be assigned every day in the event that a peer is absent. An example recess schedule is provided below:

Recess is important to elementary students because they are learning how to socialize. Peers should be encouraged to include the student with ASD in peer network during recess. Frequently staff will put the same peer with the student with ASD everyday. Peers may“burn-out” if they aren’t given opportunities to have a more flexible recess schedule some days.

1. Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Languages, etc.) – Same-age peer to peer supports can provide support during specials at the 3rd- 5th Grade Level. This may include prompting the student to follow along, providing feedback, or including the student in a group activity.

Cross-age peers in the same building can be utilized as a peer to peer supports for younger students with ASD in four different capacities:

1. In Class Support–This type of cross-age support can be difficult to organize and schedule. It will require a collaborative effort between the coordinator of the peer to peer support program and each student’s general education teacher. Look for times in the cross-age peersschedule when they could support the student with ASD in the general education classroom.

1. Lunch – Cross-age peers can provide support to a younger student with ASD during lunch. Just as with the same-age peer to peer supports, the cross-age peer to peer supports should only be scheduled once or twice a week. It is easiest when the lunch schedule for the cross-age peer is the same as it is for the student with ASD. For the student with ASD, sitting with an older peer can be very “cool.” The cross-age peer can serve as a medium of exchange (connection) for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Recess – Cross-age peers can provide support to a younger student with ASD during recess. Just as with the same-age peer to peer supports, the cross-age peer to peer supports should only be scheduled once or twice a week. It is easiest when the recess schedule for the cross-age peer is the same as it is for the student with ASD. For the student with ASD, hanging out with an older peer can be very “cool.” The cross-age peer can serve as a medium of exchange (connection) for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Languages, etc.) – Cross-age peers can provide support to a younger student with ASD during specials if the schedules align. The staff should schedule the cross-age peer only once or twice a week for a younger student with ASD during specials.

Cross-agepeers from the middle schoolor high school support students with ASD at the elementary level in four different capacities:

1. In Class Support – Cross-age peers from the middle or high school could be scheduled for one class period five days a week. This consistency can be extremely beneficial when supporting an elementary student with ASD. Training of cross-age peers should include explaining their role as a model for the student with ASD across all activities. If there is an opportunity to provide additional training, the middle or high school student could provide prompting and feedback to the student with ASD. The cross-age peer will become a medium of exchange between the same-age peers and the student with ASD.

1. Lunch – Cross-age peers from the middle or high school can be scheduled to provide support to an elementary student with ASD during lunch every day. It can be very“cool” to have a middle or high school student hanging out with an elementary student during lunch and they may serve as a medium of exchange for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Recess - Cross-age peers from the middle or high school can provide support to an elementary student with ASD during recess. The peer can support the student with ASD everyday at recess if that is the hour they are scheduled. It can be very “cool” to have a middle or high school student hanging out with an elementary student during lunch and they may serve as a medium of exchange for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Specials - Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Languages, etc.) – Cross-age peers from the middle or high school can provide support to an elementary student with ASD during specials if the schedules align.

Cross-age Peers from the Alternative High School can support Students with ASD at the Elementary School in four different capacities:

*Alternative High Schools may use a two-hour class period schedule, which can be beneficial because the peer from the alternative high school will be at the elementary school for a two-hour block of time.

1. In Class – Cross-age peers from the alternative high school will be scheduled for a two-hour alternative high school class period five days a week. This consistency can be extremely beneficial when supporting an elementary student with ASD. Training of cross-age peers should include explaining their role as a model for the student with ASD across all activities.
2. Lunch - Cross-age peers from the alternative high school can be scheduled to provide support to an elementary student with ASD during lunch every day during the two-hour block. It can be very “cool” to have a high school student hanging out with an elementary student during lunch and they may serve as a medium of exchange for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Recess - Cross-age peers from the alternative high school can provide support to an elementary student with ASD during recess during the two-hour block. The peer can support the student with ASD everyday at recess if that is the hour they are scheduled. It can be very “cool” to have a high school student hanging out with an elementary student during lunch and they may serve as a medium of exchange for the student with ASD and his/her same-age peers.

1. Specials - Specials (Art, Music, P.E., Languages, etc.) – Cross-age peers from the alternative high school can provide support to an elementary student with ASD during specials if the schedules align.

How do you maintain the peer to peer supports in the program?