Teaching Positive Peer Interaction Skills

Written by: Phil Mauskapf, MS, MT-BC, Watson Institute Educational Consultant

Helping students learn the necessary social skills to build positive peer relationships is an important part of helping students fit in at school and form lasting friendships.?

Social situations, specifically interactions with peers, can be difficult for children with autism. However, with the right tools and preparation, as educators and caregivers, we can help make this process less daunting for our students.?

Consider a few strategies to try:?

• Use a social story to model specific peer interactions in which the student has trouble communicating appropriately. A social story can be practiced as many times as needed until the student feels confident in the situation and will help set expectations and outline appropriate behaviors and responses for particular scenarios.?
• Comic Strip Conversations, created by Carol Gray, are drawings that depict dialogue between two or more people in the form of a comic strip. They’re meant to illustrate the quick pace of social situations so students with autism can study and learn from them.?
• Video models can help your student learn specific behaviors and then practice the skill. A video is a great tool for a visual learner or someone who benefits from being shown or modeled an action or set of expectations.?
• Create opportunities for structured peer interactions within your classroom such as group art activities or partnered classroom jobs. This provides more personal and private opportunities for your student to practice their peer interaction skills in a structured setting.?

Throughout the process, seek feedback from your students. What seems to be working? What strategies could be tweaked to be more helpful for your students? You may need to try different strategies or combinations of these strategies to get the best results. Be patient and creative!?

It can be scary for students to put themselves out there to their peers, but with the right guidance and support, you can foster positive peer interactions within your classroom.?

#SpecialEducation #SocialEmotionalLearning #inclusion