CIRCLE OF FRIENDSIntroductions

PURPOSE OF CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

Circle of Friends is a group of students, who support students with disabilities in the classroom, school environment, and community.

We are a group of students who help each other navigate the crazy social structure of school! We are the ones with a friendly smile in the hall and a cheerful "Hello." It's an easy thing to do because, in the end, we discover how much we all have in common!

Circle of Friends is the natural caring of people who join forces for the purpose of supporting others. We realize that we are all equal; we strive for the acceptance of all people regardless of our abilities. We believe we can affect positive growth, change and support for students with or without special needs within the school setting, and that all students have a right to friendship and belonging.

We do not intend to create occasional events which bring people together briefly, but to create natural opportunities for students with special needs to develop a network of friends and support in their own school and community.

REQUIREMENTS

• Membership:

Students that wish to join must have the following:

• 70% or better in all classes

• No referrals (yellow sheets)

• Completed application and advisors approval

• Written permission from parents/guardians

• Participation:

Students are required to:

• Attend all of school events during school hours with friend (assemblies, meetings, special events)

• Attend planning meetings

• Check e-mail at least once a week

• Spend at least one class period/lunch hour once and a while. This will make a huge difference!

EXPECTATIONS

• Including everyone in the group!

• Talk to every student. Even if the student may not be able to answer verbally they still like to communicate with their friends!

• Follow all directions the first time they are given. We do not have a lot of ‘rules’ but the rules we do have are purposeful.

• Ask questions. No question is a dumb question.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Here are others ways for members to participate in the club:

• Be a role model for others. (This is the most important)

• Sit with the student during lunch.

• Take a student to your class when there is a special event taking place. (Make sure to talk to both the regular education teacher and the special education teacher beforehand).

• Call the student at home.

• With parent permission, visit the student on the weekends or after school.

• Sign up to be a mentor or volunteer during a study hall.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Always refer to a person first. It’s not, “the blind person’ its ‘the person who is blind’

• Ask questions, please! If it is about a particular student please do not ask in front of the student.

• We are firm and consistent in our directives.

• We like to have fun!

• The word RETARD or RETARDED is never ok.

• Just because someone is unable to communicate verbally doesn’t mean they do not understand.

• Never talk ‘down’ to anyone.

DISABILITIES• Autism

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a term for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication.

• Downs • Part or whole copy of chromosome 21. Distinct facial features, mild to

moderate intellectual disabilities, hearing and vision loss,

• Cognitive

Decreased IQ. Sometimes cause is unknown.

• Learning• Results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." People with

learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information.