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ABOUT THE CIRCLES CONCEPT:
THE PROBLEM: How do you convey the subtle nuances of social distance, degrees of intimacy, and appropriate social behavior to people who interpret the world in a concrete manner?
SOLUTION: Create a simple roadmap to follow in social situations.
THE RESULT: The Circle Concept: A teaching model which uses six, color-coded, concentric circles to categorize behaviors commonly associated with differing degrees of intimacy. Each circle corresponds to a color, a behavior and a specific degree of intimacy.
THE CIRCLE CONCEPTS ARE SIMPLE:
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR WORLD. YOU ARE THE CENTER OF
YOUR CIRCLES.
NO ONE TOUCHES YOU UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE TOUCHED.
THERE ARE A FEW MORE PEOPLE TO WHOM YOU GIVE “FAR AWAY” HUGS, SUCH AS YOUR BEST FRIENDS ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS.
YOU SHAKE HANDS WITH ACQUAINTANCES.
YOU WAVE TO CHILDREN.
YOU TALK TO COMMUNITY HELPERS ONLY ABOUT BUSINESS.
YOU DO NOT TOUCH STRANGERS, STRANGERS DO NOT TOUCH YOU.
This simplified view of the world has been successful in teaching individuals for over 40 years and has undergone many revisions and updates so that it is relevant today as it was then. *(1982 introductions to CIRCLES®, Champagne and Walker-Hirsch)
ABOUT CIRCLES:
Starting from the center circle, which represents the self, each new colored circle represents behaviors, feelings, and actions appropriate to the distance from the center of self.
The Circles VideoModeling® Curriculum teaches relationship boundaries and relationship-specific behaviors, using a simple multi-layer circle diagram to demonstrate the different relationship levels students will encounter in daily life.
Circles is a concrete, organizational paradigm for students with special educational needs that helps them learn to act and interact in self-enhancing ways.
This curriculum uses principles of behavioral psychology and proven techniques in special education that help students to generalize their learning across various settings: school, home, social and vocational programs. The Circles method has been used successfully to teaches students with
· Learning disabilities
· Autism
· Mild to severe intellectual and developmental disabilities
· Emotional handicaps
· Sensory impairments
· Affective disorders.
The Program is flexible: meaning that each individual teacher can personalize each lesson to address the specific needs of the class.
The more familiar the teacher and student becomes with the Circles concept, the more applications they will find.
James Stanfield Co Catalog: http://www.stanfield.com/products/family-life-relationships/circles-curriculum/
For more information about The Circles DVD/Print Curriculum Series contact the James Stanfield Company, visit www.stanfield.com.
CIRCLES® LEVEL 1
Intimacy & RelationshipsCircles Intimacy & Relationships: Level 1, teaches special needs students some extremely abstract concepts in a remarkably simple and concrete manner. The connection between the kind of relationship and the corresponding level of intimacy is demonstrated visually, making it easy for students to understand this important concept.
While it simplifies relationships, as a person becomes skilled, they can evauluate the quality of each relationship and the degree of Touch, Talk and Trust for each relationship.
Circles Level 1 is presented in three parts: relationships now, relationship building skills presented in video format with a robust curriculum content. The third part provides suggestions and supportive information regarding sexuality education which is optional.
CIRCLES® LEVEL 2
This vignette uses live action reality stories to review the Circles concept and introduce the new and subtler concept of degrees of intimacy within the same circle.
This allows more degrees of variation within each relationship circle and can more accurately express the differences in similar relationships.
Touch, talk and trust are the three social boundaries that are evaluated and applied to each relationship.
New Content of Circles Level 2:
Alternative Intimacy Level Signs
Circle Jumping: when it's OK and when it's not
Reversal of Intimacy Level
Rejecting Intimacy and Having Intimacy Rejected
Relationship Dissolution
And More!
CIRCLES® STOP ABUSE
Help your students recognize, react to, and avoid exploitation. Teach appropriate social boundaries.
Your students are prime targets for abusive behavior.
Teach them how to recognize and avoid threatening or potentially abusive situations with Circles: Stop Abusive Behavior. This video program illustrates step-by-step lessons and strategies to recognize abusive behavior.
This quality program uses the Circles paradigm and was created by education and health care professionals sensitive to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.
A calm “stop” is shown as the first attempt to curtail the exploitative behavior, and if that is not effective, the student illustrates a “loud stop.” Based upon the specific criteria given, the student then shows how he or she decides whether or not to tell a safe person about abusive behavior.
Encourages your students to be assertive. Illustrates how to recognize and react to exploitation occurring in close relationships with dates, close friends, and relatives. Teaches students that they don’t have to participate in physical contact that does not feel good to them.
CIRCLES SOCIAL SKILLS UTILITY™
The Circles® app for Social Boundaries & Relationships on iPad & ChromebookWe are delighted to add the Circles Utility APP© ® to our library.
Keeping our children & students safe and protecting them from abuse and exploitation is a major concern for parents and educators.
Fundamental to this effort is teaching children to understand social boundaries and helping them to learn what level of intimacy and touch is appropriate AND inappropriate within these boundaries.
The Circles App™ is an innovative way to teach children that the degree of closeness they have with other people and how they touch them, depends on the kind of relationship they have with them. Simply stated, “It’s OK to hug your mother; it’s not OK to hug the mail carrier”.
The Circles App™ is designed to make such distinctions crystal clear while allowing you to customize them to your unique situation. Perhaps in your family, the mail carrier is your mother!
Visit www.stanfield.com for easy download.
While at the James Stanfield website, see the white paper from Harvard proving the CIRCLES curriculum effective!
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