Danielle Ralston shares how neurodivergent kids learn from watching peers. A kindergartener with autism learned to zip his coat after seeing a classmate do it. The speakers discuss peer teaching and learning through play as effective ways neurodivergent children pick up new skills.
Some people have different opinions about chess, but I was in 3rd grade and I had a friend that taught me how to play chess on a rainy day recess. And we're talking people learn how to play chess, like sometimes it takes a long time, but somebody was teaching me. It was fun. There was no like shame. There was no judgment. And I picked it up really quickly. My son fought and fought and fought me on how to learning how to tie his shoes. A kid in kindergarten taught him how to do it in 5 minutes.
My son, who is very neurodivergent, he is autistic, couldn't teach him to put on his own coat and zip his own coat. He could never get it on right. Not the right direction, upside down, backwards, all kinds of stuff. And it's a coat. Come on, kid. This is only one way to put this on. This can't be this hard. Could not get it. Couldn't get it. This little kid told him how to do a tumble and put a coat on by in the middle of a summer assault. And he learned how to put his coat on. 2 seconds. 2 seconds in kindergarten.
Yeah. And I think too, it's the teacher, like their peers, they're teaching it, but they're teaching them through play. You