Finding Playmates for our Children

We’ve been having a discussion on the ES email list about how to find young friends for our children, many of whom are already included in mainstream classrooms. One mother wrote that the children in their neighborhood just didn’t want to be his playmate.

Sharon wrote this response:

Another thing I did when Alina was in full inclusion Kindergarten was start a monthly play group with her kindergarten friends. Prior to this invitation, I made a book about my daughter modified from the book Hi, I’m Ben… and I’ve Got a Secret. It had about t10-12 pages and you add your child’s pictures. [download .doc file here]

Then I made about 10 copies of my own book and had them bound. It was very expensive but worth it, as I used colored pictures. The book went home with every kid in Kindergarten along with a letter telling everyone about my daughter with an ending statement “this is a great opportunity for your child without a disability to learn that some people can be a bit different, but that differences needn’t be feared, and you can still be friends”. [The letter document is here.]

SO anyway after every kid in her full inclusion Kindergarten read the book I asked the teacher to help me pick 5 nice kids. I invited these kids and then I held CRAZY monthly meetings at my house. We called it the Buddy Club. When others in our neighborhood saw my daughter with typical kids it made them want to get in on it too! She is now in Junior High Full inclusion with the exception of SDC math and Language Arts. Some of these initial friends are still her friends. Although I must say we do not have monthly meetings anymore, but I do hold an annual Christmas sleep over party with 10 girls and a few get togethers for bowling, Boomers, etc. a year with 1-2 of these friends; I must admit though the friendships are slightly different now. They love [my daughter] but she cannot communicate like they do so their communication is limited. But like I said they love her and that was my intention in the beginning!

Sharon gives credit to Sandra McElwee for the idea.