Institute for Child Development

What is Buddy Group?

Buddy Group is an after school therapeutic social skills program that was developed in November of 2000 to address social skill deficits in elementary and middle school aged children with autism. The primary emphasis of the program is to work with children identified as having autism to expand upon skills that are emerging or are in their current social skill repertoire.

What is the role of the ‘buddy’?

The core of Buddy Group is the participation of typically developing peer “buddies”. Each child in the program is paired with a buddy.

• Buddies are local middle and high school students who volunteer their time.
• Each buddy receives instruction in the goals and objectives of the program, with an emphasis on providing the child with the same type of feedback that they would get from children they would encounter in community social settings.
• Based on the feedback the child receives from his ‘buddy’, he is assisted in determining another, more appropriate way to interact.

In this way, the children have opportunities to ‘practice’ situationally appropriate skills until they have achieved a positive interaction.

Why is Buddy Group important?

Within the Institute for Child Development, the Children’s Unit for Treatment and Evaluation (CUTE) has historically identified a primary need of the children we serve as increasing the range and effectiveness of their social skills. Services to address these needs must involve opportunities to practice and learn from a peer group, with successful socialization with a typical peer group as the end goal.

What are the goals of the program?

Parents often report that attempts to involve their children in activities in the community do not fare well. Even when the children knew what was expected of them, the sometimes rote or rigid manner in which they participated made them ‘stick out’ from the group. Typical children would interact with their peers with disabilities in a manner distinctly different from other peers. For these reasons the objectives of Buddy Group are as follows:

For the children:

1. To provide opportunities to experience typical reactions to their interactions and behavior, and the ability to practice more effective use of skills in a supportive environment.
2. To become familiar with age appropriate activities and environments, and the social expectations required of each.
3. To expand and refine their ability to communicate effectively in social situations.
4. To provide a repertoire of socially acceptable reactions and interactions

For the 'Buddies':

1. To acquire an appreciation for individuals with disabilities and an awareness of how their efforts can ‘make a difference.’

For the families:

1. To provide specific social skill goals as a focus for home practice of program activities
2. Support in expanding the child’s use of skills in different settings in the home and community.

For the local community:

1. To provide program services in an area of need that is not available elsewhere in this geographic area.
2. To illustrate innovation of service.
3. To promote socially responsible volunteerism in school aged children.

When is Buddy Group?

The program is held twice a week after school from 3-4:30pm.

Where is Buddy Group held?

Buddy Group is held at the Institute for Child Development (ICD) on the Binghamton University Campus in Binghamton, NY.

What activities do the children participate in?

A ‘theme’ is chosen at the beginning of each semester as a focal point for activity development and an end of the semester special event. Examples of past themes and activities include:

• Being sports fans and ultimately attending a BU Bearcats basketball game with families of students and buddies.
• International Friends which included: presentations from buddies on their cultural heritages, pen-pal correspondences with children in other countries, and a visit to a local museum and Christmas tree display of trees decorated representing cultures from around the world.
• How things are the same and how they are different which was explored in areas ranging from observing physical attributes, to going outside and finding leaves that were the same and different, to creating same and different ice cream sundaes, and ending with a trip to the Magicpaintbrush where the children could see how their paintings were similar and how they were different.

Who is involved in running Buddy Group?

Staff include:

• Program Director- a NYS certified teacher of special education
• School Nurse, RN
• Undergraduate psychology interns

How do I get my child involved?

If you are interested in having your child participate in the Buddy Group program contact Linda Matey at (607) 777-2829 or email icdinfo@binghamton.edu