What are some specific ways to support peer relationships at school?
One way is to design social interaction opportunities for students around shared interests.
In research, shared interests is shown to lower social pressure and provide conversation starters.
We can do this through creating interest groups or activities, or offering group projects where students choose roles aligned with their strengths and interests.
E.G “all the people who want to draw the dragons for the class poster can be in a group”
Offering activities that have both clear structure and choice for how students may engage can reduce unpredictability and increase feelings of safety.
E.G “for the people drawing the dragons, first we will search for reference images then do the outline and then the colours”
Another way to provide structure could be to offer a visual support that outlines what materials will be shared for an activity, and how the group can share them.
An example of supporting choice is explicitly offering options for students to engage a task without needing to engage in specific social behaviours.
E.G “you can let your team know what colours you want to include with your voice- or you can rest the marker pen you want on top of the drawing, where you want it used”
It’s about creating an environment in which students have opportunities to make connections in their own time without pressure, and where social interactions are guided by comfort, choice, and mutual respect.
References
Reference: Bennett, D. (2026, July 21). Supporting autistic students in building peer relationships. Social Cipher. https://www.socialcipher.com/post/supporting-autistic-students-in-building-peer-relationships
