Focused Social Support

Focused social support provides additional strategies for helping specific children with challenging behavior learn and interact appropriately with adults and peers. The following social supports can also be embedded in daily routines and education activities and are helpful in addressing specific behavioral challenges:

•  Social stories
•  Positive behavior supports

Peer and sibling support

Peers and family members provide many opportunities for children with disabilities to watch and then model age appropriate behavior and skills.

Buddy systems can be organized for routines such as going to the bathroom, lining up to go outside, or during cooperative play to build a tower or make a pizza from play doh.

Peers sometimes can “transform” unfamiliar or unconventional behavior and interests into their ongoing play and classroom activities. For example, a boy who is very active is named the messenger to carry supplies from one block “ship” to another during pretend play. A girl who draws buildings in great detail is invited to make drawings of city scapes for the unit on city and country life.

Planned peer assistance for Benny

Ms. Catherine, a Head Start teacher, talks with her children about daily class jobs. She assigns Benny to be the flag holder, Jessica to pass our napkins at snack, and Sarah to be “Benny’s assistant.” When it’s time to pledge allegiance, Sarah helps Benny wheel his chair to the front of the room so he can proudly wave the flag as everyone recites the pledge together (Horn et al, 2002).

Examples of focused social interventions with peers that can be embedded within an early childhood group setting:

• Setting up situations and learning activities that require taking turns or coordinating action (e.g., painting a mural, fixing snack together, doing class jobs in pairs, acting out part of a story with a peer, limiting crayons so children share colors). 
• Arranging for interesting activities to take place near a child with mobility issues to encourage interaction with other children.
• Joining children’s play to initiate an activity or interaction, then stepping aside when the interaction starts so children can maintain the momentum without adult involvement.
• Prompting associative and cooperative behavior e.g., guide a talkative child to play in the dress up corner next to a solitary child, then encourage the children to talk about their pretend characters.

Buysse et al, 2008; McWilliam & Casey, 2008