Making Sense of the Playground Jungle
October 6, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Education
The October 6th Arizona Republic describes a program developed by the Phoenix-based Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center to help autistic children “successfully fit into the often intimidating social mix of recess.” Autistic students are first taught board games or tag or other games and other students are brought in to learn to play with them:
“You are then positively impacting both the child with autism and the typical children because you’re getting these kids to be compassionate toward each other,” [Karen[ Donmoyer said. "It's not rocket science." [Donmoyer has 9-year-old twin daughters who are autistic.]
……
……many were surprised that most kids preferred organized games during recess over free play, said Daniel Openden, the center’s clinical director who began developing the new strategies a few years ago while a graduate student in Santa Barbara, Calif.
“The kids flock to you,” he said. “It’s like a magnet.”
What school officials noted immediately was a dip in the number of kids referred to the principal for misbehaving during recess.
Both in Santa Barbara and Scottsdale, the structured games attracted class clowns and the same kids most likely to bully, Openden said.
Dodgeball and surviving on the jungle that a playground at recess aren’t for everyone, and not only kids who are different.
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
Thank you for this article, Kristina. On the IEP last week they refused to even consider a peer group/buddy system for recess and lunch for my son. They just said it was too hard. I get reports from the parents of the other kids, like our neighbor, who say he just wanders the playground. I am documenting everything and contacting our advocate, and I will use this article and other journal/book reports to justify why my son needs this kind of support.
Stork, if it’s fair and reasonable, it can’t be “too hard.” They must provide accommodations for your son. Grrrr…I get so mad when they say it “can’t be done.” Yes, it can. I also would like you to read my blog (I don’t plug here usually) about my son’s problems on the playground and in general and about the Circle of Friends program. The school doesn’t have to do much (heaven forefend) to implement Circle of Friends at an easy level. Feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like more info; also Liz over at “I Speak of Dreams” has some links to information about implementing it.
TH has had the same experience with the structured part of his recess. The kids just LOVE what he “gets” to do during his “tiny” (structured) recess–they line up to participate. And I really think that kids should have some kind of structure offered on the playground. The aimlessness has invariably led to trouble at our school (not just for TH).
I am so excited to read this! My son’s school is doing something similar. Recess has been difficult for him and we had several behavioral issues at the beginning of school. So they started pulling him and a friend (the friend is a model kindergarten citizen) out of class prior to recess and they play a board game with the school psychologist. She reinforces social rules like turn taking, then sends them out to the playground with the rest of their class. It really seems to be having a positive effect.
Emily, thanks so much!
I didn’t expect this as they did a buddy system I suggested last year based on Jed Baker’s books/lectures I attended. It worked well, he made some “friends” and no more problems at recess. He was “adopted” by a few little girls in his class, who then watched out for him the rest of the year. With new classerooms, they aren’t all in his class this year, so I think he is falling between the cracks.
Why they balked at doing it this year is beyond me. Our case worker from case management was really surprised, too. She tried to help me advocate, but the “temp” in the room turned ice cold when I asked if we could consider doing this type of program again, and I was told, “NO!” very vehemently. I have always had a good working relationship, this is uncharacteristic, so I just backed off, because after being told twice, and because it would be too hard to get permission from the other NT kids’ parents to participate.
We had some extreme problems the first 3 weeks of school with homework and modifications for him causing some very difficult behavior, and we worked them out, as well as a different reporting form to send home so I knew what his day was like, and that was like pulling teeth (”the aides need to help him, not write too much”). But everything else they said okay and also started to teach him keyboarding this year, which is great.
All the other goals and issues were addressed and I was satisfied. They didn’t even mention this request and refusal in the minutes of the IEP, which is wrong, and I am going to make them correct the documentation or add in my own documentation to the IEP. I want this all on paper.
I will definitely read up on your Circle of Friends. You don’t need to plug your blog, I know it is great, I love reading it! And Liz gave me some very helpful info on homework I used, and now it is very manageable!
Yes, that absolutely needs to be in the minutes. I wonder why they’re being so intractable? They need to do their jobs and do them right. One of the aide’s duties is reporting. It’s not an “extra.”
Which of course is why one finds oneself having to ask extra hard to make sure it gets done.
I made the sad realization (though I should have known, of course) that Charlie, being in middle school, no longer has recess. At his elementary school, they did a nice job having non-classified kids come to Charlie’s room to play games, scooters, and the like. His new teacher wants to have activities with peers set up, but apparently the middle schoolers have such tightly scheduled schooldays that it’s hard to get a free period—she’s working on it.
Recess is really tough. So many schools are cutting recess out totally too. I don’t think that is good either. I think it is great people are working on programs like this to help kids navigate recess time.