Middle years
Resources are provided with this practice
Yes
Summary
It is likely that you will have students in your class who have difficulty connecting and building relationships with their peers. Some students, including those on the autism spectrum can be challenged and overwhelmed when doing what other students take for granted:
- approaching their peers
- maintaining interactions
- interacting with their peers
You can facilitate peer interaction by creating classroom contexts where all students have meaningful opportunities to meet, build familiarity, share common interests, collaborate and spend time with their peers. When you facilitate peer interactions, you provide opportunities for students to:
- learn age-appropriate social skills
- access emotional supports
- develop a sense of belonging
Student outcomes
The student successfully plays a role in a range of groupings within the classroom.
There is an increase in peer interaction, mutual acceptance and participation.
