Peer support

Buddy systems and ‘Circle of Friends’ interventions are very important to support the inclusion of learners with ASD. A learner with ASD will be vulnerable because he or she may be told the rules of the school by staff but it is the children who know how things really operate. Both of these approaches involve peers in supporting a learner with ASD during unstructured times, with some support from staff. Essex LEA and Lucky Duck have produced packs with videos on Circle of Friends that enable peers to become a resource rather than another barrier, as they provide a format for peers to understand the difficulties of learners with ASD.