Students & Educators
Our mission is to create autism awareness, teach acceptance of differences, and foster empathy for individuals on the autism spectrum. Good Friend, Inc. offers students and educators a wide range of programs to accomplish these goals.
Peer Sensitivity Workshops
In order to foster empathy among K-5th grade students, they have to learn to walk in the shoes of their classmate on the autism spectrum. We ALL Fit is great to teach awareness, but acceptance and empathy come from personalization.
Because every child with autism is different, every workshop we do is tailored to fit the needs of the classroom dynamics. Before the workshop and with written parental consent, we speak with a relevant staff member who knows the child with autism well, as well as with the child’s parent/guardian to learn a little bit about what makes that child unique.
The nature of the information shared is also different between grade levels. We tell kindergarteners about their friend in 30 minutes and use different exercises than we do with the 5th graders, who have a 60-minute workshop. Each version includes a screening of the 20-minute video.
Schools can opt to have a takeaway gift for each participant. In order to make these workshops most effective, there is a maximum number of 75 same-grade students per session.
Individualized Classroom Presentations
In middle school, all students generally want to blend. Yet we understand that students on the spectrum stand out and are at a much higher risk for bullying than their neurotypical peers. An interactive Individual Classroom Presentation provides greater opportunity for awareness, acceptance, and empathy than a General Assembly.
Themes of healthy social relationships and brain-based differences fit well with units in Language Arts, Science, Health, and Guidance courses for 6th-8th grade students. The positive discussion platform and common language provided may stir an adolescent with autism to share about his or her own differences.
Before the presentation, we speak with the teacher about the class needs and tailor the presentation accordingly. The hour-long presentation includes a screening of our film, Choosing to be a Good Friend.
General Assemblies
Schools that desire more general information for their students on being good friends to children on the autism spectrum can schedule a Good Friend Assembly for up to 500 children. An assembly includes a screening of We ALL Fit for K-5th grade, or Choosing To Be a Good Friend for 6th-8th grade, wrapped within a complementary interactive presentation, plus a Q&A session (if time allows). Students leave with practical social emotional tools for connecting and bullying prevention. For best results, keep presentations to three consecutive grade levels maximum, with no more than 500 students per assembly
Staff In-services
Staff in-services are at least an hour long, and can be differentiated to address the group’s needs. Whether it’s Autism 101, Best Practices, Fostering Neurodiverse Friendships, or Interacting with Families your staff needs brushing up on, our nearly two decades of combined experience as parent-professionals provides fresh insight on a wide range of Autism Spectrum Disorder-related topics.
Consultative services can also be worked into professional development plans.
Inclusion
Meaningful inclusion of students on the autism spectrum doesn't happen without intentionality. You know your school's needs better than we do. Here are some questions to consider when determining what Good Friend service(s) might be best.
What grade levels are included for student services?
How many students/sections in each grade level?
When was the last time your staff had autism-specific training?
Does your school staff consistently use inclusive practices?
Is disability harassment a problem at your school?
Answering these questions will help us co-develop a targeted service plan. Refer to this target graphic to better understand the personalization of content, where the center is most specific and the outside is most general.
* All scheduled services include a kit of supplemental information.