When my daughter was in kindergarten, she was friends with a little boy named Tony. He was quiet, sweet, and smart. Alison was always inviting him to play with her because she would see him walking around the school yard by himself. Often, Tony would come play with her, and many times after only a few minutes of play, he would just walk away. Alison was confused as to why Tony chose to spend recess and lunch alone.
At the turn of the century, general educators on a national level, were just beginning to be aware of children who were on the spectrum. Teachers in general education, teachers in special education, counselors, school psychologists, and administrators were doing their best to determine how to meet the needs of a growing group of students who came with a wonderful skill set and with a unique set of needs.
As an elementary school counselor, I was doing my best to work together with parents in order to help create an environment that supported students with special needs both academically and socially/emotionally. My experience was that the majority of teachers were very open and cooperative when it came to making academic accommodations and worked hand in hand with parents to set up a plan that ensured the student’s academic success.
Additionally, I was reading books, going to conferences, and learning all that I could so that I would be able to support Tony’s social/emotional needs. I had an idea. What if I could surround Tony with a group of students who were socially adept? Children whose social skills were built on empathy. Children who were friendly, accepting, kind, and fun. This group of children would be super in their social skills. In fact, they would be so advanced socially and emotionally, they would not simply be friends. They would in fact, be Super Friends!
So, I approached Tony’s parents and with their permission, I was allowed to find children who were socially gifted in his class, talk to their parents about Tony’s diagnosis, and form a group of students called Super Friends. The teacher and I formed this small group of three boys and three girls so that I could conduct social/emotional activities that would build a bond between these children. The teacher was incredibly supportive. He worked in concert with me and made sure that Tony was always sitting by a Super Friend. It got even better. Being a Super Friend was not limited to school. It extended to play dates and birthday parties. It worked out beautifully. The forming of this group laid a foundation for Tony that made the elementary years for him SUPER!
