Set Up and Scheduling

Scheduling peers is important, particularly at the beginning stages of the program.  Although this structure may seem artificial at first, intentional scheduling provides consistent opportunities for students to connect inside or outside the classroom and may be academic or social in nature. Scheduling peer partners ensures repeated opportunities to engage in shared experiences leading to authentic connections over time. Reference START’s Peer Friendship Formula for more information.

Determine Peer Partners

Determine how many peer partner students are needed to participate with the student(s) with IEPs for the year. Some programs match one LINK peer partner with each student with an IEP. Other programs link multiple peer partner students for each student with an IEP.  It is best to use the student’s daily schedule to determine when and where focus students would benefit from having a peer partner. Consider academic and social times to build friendship opportunities. It is important to note that if peer partner students and focus students have natural commonalities, likes and interests, consider making that a priority if the schedule allows.

• Same-Aged Peers (same class or grade level)

• Cross-Aged Peers

  • Elementary School: Must be in a higher grade.

  • Middle School: Must be within walking distance or have transportation available.

  • High School: Must be within walking distance or have transportation available. Since some high school students are released from school earlier than elementary school students, they may come after school.

  • Alternative High School: It is important to communicate with the building administrator for planning purposes. Students from alternative high school programs have historically made strong peer partners at the elementary level.  There are reciprocal benefits for all students.

  • A protocol will need to be developed if students are leaving their building to participate in Peer to Peer in another building. Consider creating “Building to Building Passes” for LINK partners at the middle and high school who are traveling to an elementary school building. Consider using a three-ring binder or putting the passes into a booklet format so students can create a log of when they go back and forth between buildings.

    • LINKS Peer to Peer Travel Release Form Template

Examine the School Schedule

To develop and implement Peer to Peer at the elementary level, examine a typical elementary school schedule. Peer to Peer connections can happen in any time frame during the school day including the special or general education setting, lunch, recess, and specials classes. Peer to Peer can also happen with cross age and/or same aged students.

• Schedule templates

  • Focus Student Example 

  • Daily Activity Based Peer to Peer Schedule

  • Weekly Example 1 

  • Weekly Example 2

  • Monthly Schedule

  • Cross-Age Example 1

  • Cross-Age Example 2

Itinerant/Ancillary Staff can also support Peer to Peer during direct therapy times in and outside of the classroom. This is an opportunity for students with IEPs to work on goals and objectives all while engaging in meaningful activities with peer partners. It is important to note that there are benefits for facilitating opportunities between neurodivergent individuals along with neurodiverse classmates. 

• Itinerant/Ancillary Staff Schedule Examples

  • Speech and Language Schedule

  • Social Work Schedule