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First impressions are important.
Learning how to greet friends is a skill that all children will need during
their lifetime. Teaching children how to smile, wave or say hello to other
peers is important in facilitating friendships. If a parent is trying to
facilitate a friendship between their child and a special needs child, the
parent should point out the similarities these children share as well as how
their child can interact or play with the special needs child.
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Teach children social skills
Encouraging children to contact or join in a group of children that is
already playing can help a child facilitate friendships. Practicing other
social skills at home first can help friendships continue to grow. These
skills may include sharing, how to handle conflict and how to take turns.
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Investigate at school to discover which children interact with your child.
Ask a teacher or other school staff member if there is a student with whom
your child consistently interacts. This information will allow for you to
arrange for play dates outside of school.
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Arrange social opportunities.
Invite children with and without disabilities over for play dates. Try to
arrange activities that encourage children to interact together such as
balls and board games. Organizing specific activities that are often viewed
as special and entertaining such as baking cookies or art projects can
facilitate friendships and create positive shared experiences. Play dates
should not last more that one or two hours. Parents may want to consider
special outings or trips as a play date.
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School systems are responsible for assuring that transition planning becomes
a component of the IEP beginning at age 14; however, it may be necessary to
start transition planning much earlier in order to allow the student to
achieve meaningful post-school outcomes. (From the Georgia Department of
Education's Transition Manual) Read more about the topic in the
Roadmap
Transition section. |
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