Circle of Friends Connection Newsletter

March 2024


Please take a moment to answer a 5 question survey and be entered into a $50 gift card drawing!


Click HERE




A Message From Your COF Team

Ideas for Autism Awareness Month


Just by their very nature, Circle of Friends groups promote autism acceptance and awareness. However, during the Autism Awareness Month of April some COFs choose to engage in larger, schoolwide initiatives. The ripple effect can be quite powerful. If you’re looking for ideas, here’s some good places to start. 



If you or someone you know is considering leading a current or starting up a new Circle of Friends group, please take a second to sign up.


This will insure you’ll stay up-to-date on COF happenings, trainings, and support for next school year.


SIGN UP HERE


Starting Up a New COF Group at Your School?


Be ready to hit the ground running in the fall with a new Circle of Friends group.


Work at your convenience in our free summer independent study COF professional development training. Participants will work at their own pace anytime between the months of May and August.


Afterwards, new group facilitators will meet in a 1:1 or small group Zoom session to have any questions answered.


Download the FLYER

Register HERE


2024 NE ASD NETWORK CONFERENCE

April 4th and 5th, 2024

Kearney, NE


Circle of Friends Intro Session

at the ASD Network State Autism Conference


If you or a colleague are looking for inspiration, ideas, or the basics of starting up a  group, you won’t want to miss Hannah Gay’s and Ashley Forbes’ Circle of Friends session at the Nebraska ASD Conference in April.  Learn from the best! 


Check the Conference website for more details. Register HERE.

Tips from the Circle

Shelby-Rising City COF Hosts Student Led Birthday Party, Shared by Stacy Stewart


The love of a Circle of Friends lives on! These members bowled on the Unified Bowling Team together. They then went ahead and planned a bowling birthday party for one of the members without the help of the teacher! They took it upon themselves to carry on the friendship outside of school! 


Congratulations to Scottsbluff Senior High School’s Amber Moore!


Thanks Amber, for sharing your student’s success. It shows the confidence that builds when practice and social inclusion are provided for our kids over time.


One of the biggest success stories is about a student who was once a focus student and evolved into a mentor. When this student joined the group 4 years ago, albeit a little reluctantly, he would sit off to the side and just observe. He did not want to interact with his peers or engage in activities. As the years progressed I observed this student come out of their shell more and more. Last year he did a television interview, jumped in the Polar Plunge, and started leading group activities. This year he is a leader in our Circle of Friends group and has developed additional friendships outside of the group. I could not be more proud of the young man that he has become. Circle of Friends allowed him to develop his social skills at his pace and in a loving environment. 


Amber’s Tip:

We play team building games each week that foster friendship, communication, and compromise.


If you’d like to be entered into our next gift card drawing, submit your tips and stories by March 28th. All submissions are uploaded to our COF website so others can benefit from your inspiring stories and ideas!

Submit here

Read more ideas and stories on our Activities page


Share your tips, stories, and successes with us HERE!


And remember, to also send us any articles you share about your Circle of Friends group in your community. It’s always a good thing for the public to be aware of the awesome initiatives taking place in our schools!


Submit your photos, too!

Visit our Circle of Friends Virtual Community Site


Have questions about Circle of Friends? Contact: Mary at mary.schlieder@gmail.com


Want to be added to the newsletter list? Add your information HERE. Need to update your contact information? Contact: Megan at mmisegadis2@unl.edu