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Participation Model

vs.

Helping Model

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Participation Model

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Goal: Friendships and Sense of Belonging for ALL

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Components:

  • Train students and staff about what a participation program is and is not
  • Common goals for both students (Student with IEP and Peer to Peer Student)

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Clearly, there is nothing wrong with help; friends often help each other. However, it is essential to acknowledge that help is not and can never be the basis of friendship. We must be careful not to overemphasize the "helper/helpee" aspect of a relationship.

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Unless help is reciprocal, the inherent inequity between 'helper' and 'helpee' will contaminate the

authenticity of a relationship.

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-Norman Kunc

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  • Kids being kids
  • Kids playing or hanging out WITH kids
  • Kids eating lunch together
  • Kids working together on the same assignments
  • Kids walking WITH each other in the hallways
  • Kids learning about neurodiversity
  • Kids being put in an adult role
  • Kids telling kids what to do or not to do
  • Kids watching kids eat lunch or do an assignment
  • Kids “taking” the student to a location in the building

Participation

Helping

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Participation

Helping

  • Raises expectations
  • Power Neutralized
  • Reciprocal
  • Inclusive
  • Equality
  • Strength Based and Asset Based
  • Creates Allies
  • Students viewed differently
  • Lowers expectations
  • Power Incited
  • Hierarchical
  • Authority
  • Creates Ableism

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MIPs to Participation

  • Common Goals for all students and staff
  • Reinforcing for all students
  • Communication with ALL staff!
      • Faculty Meetings

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(s)

Teach, advocate, and continually revisit with staff and students what a Peer Support is and what a Peer Support is not.

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Training Students on a

Participation Model results in the following:

  • Changes the culture - #dobetter
    • Eating lunch with peers,
    • Playing with friends on the playground
    • Socializing in the hallways
    • When social errors occur, they become fixable and teachable moments rather than discipline moments
  • Changes the classroom:
    • Kids working with kids,
    • Kids advocating with, and for kids
    • Kids with IEPs sitting next to kids who don’t have IEPs

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Participation is Key

Students with IEPs do not need more helpers or people telling them what to do in their lives. 

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They need relationships and friendships that provide opportunities and build confidence. 

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Providing this foundation is how they learn to trust relationships, and develop social skills with dignity and mutual respect!

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Participation vs. Helping

Excellent video that demonstrates the participation model and friendships that develop from it!