http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/featured/pnr-lincoln-links-help-their-peers-succeed-in-school-20130228,0,2987615.story
Getting Started…
Design brochure to go home
Permission Slips
Building Administration
Talk to ALL staff – we need you!
Superintendent on board
General Education teacher on board
Contact parent to allow them to own program
The more support you have, the more
successful you will be!
Adapted from START manual (p 53)
Recruiting
Start slow and small
Determine if target student should be in the
room
10 minutes about Peer to Peer and ASD
Read a story and answer questions
(elementary)
Brochures and Permission
Adapted from START manual (p 53)
Training for Students
First lunch meeting
What do I say? Ask kids what they want
Specific ASD information
Logistics – what does it look like for THIS
group of students?
Answer questions
Develop a calendar
Positive information
Likes or interests of target student
Family member information
Successful strategies for working with student
Communication needs – How to
Behavioral Concerns
Medium of Exchange
Adapted from START manual (p 54)
Maintenance
Monthly Meetings
•
•
Case Conference sheet
(information for meeting; always positive; problem solvers)
•
Include parents – need a voice (help)
•
Include target student (socialization)
•
•
•
Communication
Meet them for lunch/recess
If kids are having fun, they will keep doing it
•
Banquet
Adapted from START manual (p 54)
For Peers…
•
•
•
•
•
Patience
Problem Solving
•
Acceptance
•
Education
•
Empathy
“Crossing Friendship Lines”
Video
Dan and Jason
# 1: How we met
#5 Canada
#6
#7
Willing to share their own differences
Always asking questions and brainstorming
ways to improve
Adapted from START manual (p 54)
LINK Case Conferences
Weekly or monthly meetings
Problem Solving focus
May include the person with Autism
Teaching support strategies in the case
conference that will generalize to
general education environment.
POSITIVES – CONCERNS – BRAINSTORMING
Adapted from START manual (p 138)
How are we the SAME?
How are we DIFFERENT?
• Some students are very talkative and may blurt out
inappropriate comments and/or at inappropriate times.
• Some students have very strong interest areas.
• Some students have a difficult time understanding social
situations.
• Some students may have unusual preferences to objects
or materials.
• Some students like when things stay the same.
• Some students struggle when they have to change from
activity to activity.
Andy’s Interests
How can WE help?
Lincoln Links
A Peer to Peer Support Program
Kids Helping Kids to…
LEARN
CONNECT
SUCCEED
GROW
What is a LINK?
A LINK is a student volunteer
who supports another student in
the classroom, during lunch, or at
recess to include them in activities
and model appropriate
interactions.
WHO can be a LINK?
LINKs are selected on a volunteer
basis and must have parent and
teacher permission to participate
in the program.
What are LINK RESPONSIBILITIES?
A LINK participates in the program no more
than one day each week. LINKs are there to
be positive student models for students who
have difficulty (following the rules, being
included in games and activities, completing
classroom assignments). The LINKs meet
periodically to discuss questions, problems
and solutions, and celebrate successes.
Activity and Book
Suggestions…
Paper LINK:
What makes YOU unique?
What are some things that we
have in common that LINK us
together?
Folding Paper each
time a hurtful
comment is made.
Hidden Rules:
5 volunteers – 1
student leaves the
classroom.
http://www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter/peer-to-peer-support-2-140.htm