Earlier I promised to write about some of the things we did as follow-up to the “How to Be a Great Friend” and “Friend 2 Friend Autism Demystification” programs that we found to be successful in building a supportive community around Riley so...here we go.
In-class Activity - Making Posters
After the completion of both programs, Riley's teacher assigned the class a project. They were to pick their favourite "Friend Tip" from either program and create a poster. They were displayed in the classroom and around the school.
Recess/Lunch Activities
It is pretty much a given that recess and lunch are the most social times at school. These can also be some of the hardest times for Riley to figure out and participate in. Luckily in elementary school, in particular the primary grades, a lot of the time is spent playing. When Riley was younger he was very active and enjoyed most types of physical activity so we just needed a way for Riley to get involved.
Bocce Ball Challenge
For two years in a row Riley's FG (Fairy Godmother) organized the "RT Challenge Cup". It consisted of four kids (Riley was always one of the kids from his class) on a team from each of Riley's grade classes. It was a round robin tournament with a final "Cup" game with trophies and treats all around.
In-class Activity - "Riley Rules" Book
Another year FG came up with the idea of having R's classmates write a set of "tips" on how to best engage Riley. The students came up with nine tips and the name "Riley Rules" for the booklet. With the generous support from Student Services and the school the booklet was produced which included pictures of Riley and his classmates role-playing each "Rule". At the end of the year each student received a copy.
I welcome any comments or questions you might have about any of the activities I've blogged about. The final “chapter” (I know you're probably thinking FINALLY) to Riley’s Social Success Puzzle will be about the positive benefits of both programs. The main and, I think, most important one being “friends”. Thanks for hanging in there with this epic post. I promise I won’t do any more. :D
After the completion of both programs, Riley's teacher assigned the class a project. They were to pick their favourite "Friend Tip" from either program and create a poster. They were displayed in the classroom and around the school.
Recess/Lunch Activities
It is pretty much a given that recess and lunch are the most social times at school. These can also be some of the hardest times for Riley to figure out and participate in. Luckily in elementary school, in particular the primary grades, a lot of the time is spent playing. When Riley was younger he was very active and enjoyed most types of physical activity so we just needed a way for Riley to get involved.
Bocce Ball Challenge
For two years in a row Riley's FG (Fairy Godmother) organized the "RT Challenge Cup". It consisted of four kids (Riley was always one of the kids from his class) on a team from each of Riley's grade classes. It was a round robin tournament with a final "Cup" game with trophies and treats all around.
During the final "Cup" game kids were making signs and cheering on their class team. So cool!
Another year FG came up with the idea of having R's classmates write a set of "tips" on how to best engage Riley. The students came up with nine tips and the name "Riley Rules" for the booklet. With the generous support from Student Services and the school the booklet was produced which included pictures of Riley and his classmates role-playing each "Rule". At the end of the year each student received a copy.
I welcome any comments or questions you might have about any of the activities I've blogged about. The final “chapter” (I know you're probably thinking FINALLY) to Riley’s Social Success Puzzle will be about the positive benefits of both programs. The main and, I think, most important one being “friends”. Thanks for hanging in there with this epic post. I promise I won’t do any more. :D
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