Supporting learners

The ability to develop and maintain peer interactions is a skill that adults can actively help foster. Some learners may struggle to understand and fulfil the many social expectations of ECEC. They may also have very different and varied ways of coping. All of these factors can make it hard to feel like they belong and make friends.

One way to support learners is by embedding:

• systematic instruction
• multiple practice opportunities 

…in play and social skills to initiate, build and maintain friendships with peers.

Plan to support social skills

Social skills training (SST) is an established and effective practice that helps learners on the autism spectrum acquire and practice effective:

• communication
• play
• social and interaction skills
• friendship skills

…and promote positive interactions with peers.

Which social skills do I target and teach?

Speak with parents/carers and colleagues including specialists such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers or inclusion support professionals to plan which skills you will target and develop goals and strategies together

Observe the child’s play and social skills and learn if they have a preferred peer/friend that they interact with.

Collect data on your learner’s current level of play and social skills. Use this data to develop a learning sequence which builds these skills.

Plan to provide

• instruction on play and social skills
• role-playing opportunities
• practice opportunities
• instructional feedback

Plan to embed

Embedded instruction comprises multiple, brief teaching interactions between you and the learner throughout every activity.

Embedding the instruction within whole-of group activities and routines means that individual learners are not ‘singled out’. Instead, you establish instruction and practice that can benefit all learners. However, you may need to choose and provide personalised scaffolds and reinforcement for some learners.

Embed opportunities within routines. For example, learners have opportunities to interact with peers when having a snack, sitting on the mat for group activities or during free play.

Plan to consider learner strengths and interests

It’s helpful to consider children’s preferences when supporting the formation and maintenance of peer relationships. For example, a learner who has an interest in lions is more likely to engage with other learners around an activity incorporating lions. However, if there is an activity or item that is linked to their focused interest, then another context might be more appropriate for teaching and practising turn-taking and sharing. It can be hard to share something you love – especially when starting out.

Ensure that accessible spaces and activities are provided that encourage opportunities for children to engage with each other in play activities (e.g. a small block play table with two chairs sitting opposite each other and building mat in the middle). Children also need spaces where they can enjoy quiet time alone, so appropriate spaces need to be provided for solitary play.

It works better if:

• social skill training is personalised, targeted, and useful to individual learners
• skills are practised at home and in ECEC environments in order to foster generalisation

It doesn’t work if:

• it’s not fun and engaging
• play and social skills selected for teaching are limited to those the teacher considers important
• instruction does not provide opportunities for generalisation across people, time and settings