Peer Sensitivity Workshop
In order to foster empathy among typically-developing students for children with autism, the students have to learn to walk in the shoes of their friend with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The video 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 meet with the staff involved with the child with autism, and/or with the child’s parents 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 sixth graders, who have a 60-minute workshop. Each version includes a screening of the 17-minute video.
Each participant will get a signed Certificate of Completion from Good Friend and a gel bracelet. In order to make these workshops most effective, there is a maximum number of 75 same-grade students per session.
The workshop fee is $50 plus a $1 per child supply fee. Travel expenses will apply beyond a 75-mile radius of Waukesha. To learn what professionals have had to say about Good Friend’s PSWs, click here. Contact Chelsea or Denise for more information.
General Assembly
Schools that desire more general information for their students on being good friends to children with ASD can schedule a Good Friend Assembly for up to 500 children. An assembly includes the 17-minute video within a 35-minute interactive presentation, plus a Q&A session (if time allows). As with the other formats, Chelsea and Denise will meet with key staff and/or administrators ahead of time to assess needs. No bracelets or certificates are included for the children with this option.
Fees ranges from $100 to $500 depending on the number of students involved. The curriculum is differentiated by grade levels (primary and intermediate elementary, middle school). Travel expenses will apply beyond a 75-mile radius of Waukesha. To learn what students and professionals have had to say about Good Friend’s assemblies, click here. Contact Chelsea or Denise for more information.
Staff In-Services
Not only have Chelsea and Denise lived and breathed autism and elementary education each for more than a decade, they have attended several conferences, lectures, and presentations on dozens of topics related to social, behavioral, medical, and educational aspects of life on the autism spectrum. As active participants in their own children’s educational teams and frequent visitors to other schools as professionals, they can provide fresh insight on the interaction of typically-developing students with children with ASD.
In-services can be differentiated to address the group’s needs. The elementary and middle school in-services last 60 minutes, and include information about ASD, a video screening, and a discussion of the Awareness-Acceptance-Empathy model. A Q&A session follows.
For childcare providers and early childhood/pre-kindergarten educators, Good Friend offers two specialized presentations: Early Diagnostic Indicators for ASD (which includes best practices for working with children at-risk for ASD) and Supporting Families with Children with ASD. Each workshop lasts two hours, includes a Presentation Kit with complementary resources, and provides Certificates of Completion for participants. The first workshop can be done without the second. Each costs $200.
Travel expenses will apply beyond a 75-mile radius of Waukesha. To learn what professionals have had to say about Good Friend’s staff in-services, click here. Contact Chelsea or Denise for more information.