Peer to Peer is a school-wide program designed to increase academic, independence, and social engagement opportunities for students with autism and other disabilities. This is achieved by inviting multiple peers without disabilities to learn about their schoolmates with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Peer education gives students knowledge and skills that demystify disabilities and increase understanding and acceptance. Students learn to advocate with, and for students with disabilities.

Set up in pairs or a small group during a variety of school and extracurricular activities, peers model typical academic and social behavior while students with disabilities can practice and use skills in natural settings by learning from peers in a positive and dignified manner. Authentic relationships form as students actively participate in activities together. In other words, Peer to Peer is a formal pathway for ensuring students with and without disabilities can meet, learn about, and develop friendships while receiving guidance and support from educators (Ziegler et al., 2020). Although each Peer to Peer program is different, the results are the same: improved outcomes for students with ASD as well as a more positive, accepting school culture for all. 

Ziegler, M., Matthews, A., Mayberry, M., Owen-DeSchryver, J., & Carter, E. W. (2020). From Barriers to Belonging: Promoting Inclusion and Relationships Through the Peer to Peer Program. Teaching Exceptional Children, 20(10), 1-9.

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• Peer to Peer Module
• Participation vs Helping Model PowerPoint
• Peer to Peer and Unified Champion Schools Collaboration
• Community Conversations: A Toolkit for a Student-Led Event

• Scaling Up a Peer-Mediated Program Statewide: Lessons Learned Through Peer to Peer
• Peer to Peer Support is a Participation Model
• From Barriers to Belonging: Promoting Inclusion and Relationships Through the Peer to Peer Program
• The Reciprocity of Peer-Mediated Interventions: Examining Outcomes for Peers
• Outcomes for LINKS: Benefits to High School Peers

The Secondary and Elementary Peer to Peer Framework Ideas and Supports webinar series is a guide through different framework models for Peer to Peer programs. This webinar series provides two experiences in the development of Peer to Peer programs, one from the elementary perspective in the classroom and one from the secondary perspective with Peer to Peer as an elective class partnered with Unified Champion Schools. Both perspectives are intended to generate new ideas that you can adapt to your Peer to Peer program. You may find some of the resources are not necessary for your program development and/or that you may need to develop additional resources addressing the unique culture and expectations of your school community.

The Secondary and Elementary Peer to Peer Framework Ideas and Supports webinar series is not intended to replace the Peer to Peer Training. This webinar series is considered a supplemental resource to the Peer to Peer Training.  

Videos in this webinar series: 

• Introduction: Secondary and Elementary Peer to Peer Framework Ideas and Supports (00:04:42)
• Elementary Peer to Peer: Empower One, Empower ALL (1:44:34)
• Peer to Peer: Programming at the Secondary Level (Part 1) (00:14:39)
• Peer to Peer: Programming at the Secondary Level (Part 2) (01:29:09)

Empower One, Empower ALL is a series of resources to help you develop a Peer to Peer classroom culture. Developed by Lisa Carruthers, a third-grade general education teacher from Leonard Elementary School, Empower One, Empower ALL includes strategies and resources to help you empower your students and ignite your culture change. 

Resources:

• Empower One, Empower ALL: Creating a Peer to Peer Culture One Classroom at a Time (START Connecting article, March 2021)
• Empower One, Empower ALL Guide
• Empower One, Empower ALL Google Folder
• Empowering Students: Students take the Lead in Leonard Peer to Peer (video)
• Peer to Peer Presentation with Lisa Carruthers (video)

• Use of the Peer to Peer logo
• How to order light blue and purple discounted graduation cords
• How to order Peer to Peer promotional products: 
  • The following products with the P2P logo are available for purchase. Orders can be placed online through Allegra Printing. Instructions for ordering are available here. 
    • Foldable frisbees, key chains, mechanical pencils, pens, stress balls, and window decals 

• Peer to Peer Engagement Activities and LINKS Boxes
• Michigan 4-H Engagement Checklist 
• Organization for Autism Resources (OAR) Kit for Kids - a free tool kit to learn about ASD
• OAR Youth Education Leader - build awareness and acceptance of ASD using the Kit for Kids

View a sampling of videos and testimonials from schools across the state of Michigan running a Peer to Peer program that have agreed to share information about their program. 

Sign up here to borrow one of the P2P quilts