Park Glen Elementary – Peer Assistance for Students with Disabilities I

Apr 2026 · 2nd Semester

Peer Assistance for Students with Disabilities is designed to promote meaningful social inclusion and create accepting school environments. Students with disabilities are given a space to develop confidence, foster independence, and improve their social skills through their interactions with their non-disabled peers. Peer assistants obtain skills training in confidentiality, cueing, prompting, and positive reinforcement to be used with the students with disabilities that they will be working with. With the guidance of their peer assistants, students with disabilities can discover new strengths and abilities that help them find joy and fulfillment. Likewise, peer assistants experience growth in their understanding of disabilities and special education supports. In addition, peer assistants will develop empathy and skills that carry outside the classroom. In this inclusive environment, students will create a relationship among age-appropriate peers of different abilities, both socially and academically, that will last long beyond the classroom time.