Schools With Open Arms

“She sits alone every day in the cafeteria.”
“Some of the staff just don´t understand him or know how to interact positively.”
“She´s bored after school and no one ever calls.”
“His behavior annoys the other kids and no one wants to have him in their group.”
“She can´t carry on a conversation.”

Kids with Asperger Syndrome, ADD, and other conditions which can create behavioral and social challenges, often have problems making friends and understanding social connections. School can be a lonely, scary place where teachers often struggle to know how to help and lack the time to do so. With Open Arms shows how to promote feelings of belonging through implementation of Circle of Friends, Extracurricular Activities, and Staff Learning Teams. Parents will want to share this book with teachers and support staff. With Open Arms is a manual written with busy teachers and administrators in mind. You´ll find simple instructions providing everything needed to turn your school into a supportive community. Time saving reproducible pages include:

  • Circle of Friends meeting invitations, letters to parents, meeting activity ideas, book club recommendations with discussion guide questions.
  • Extracurricular activities charts and checklists.
  • Learning Team guide discussion questions for important books staff can read to create Professional Learning Communities with the end goal of understanding kids with behavioral challenges and developing effective strategies in working with them.