How do teachers encourage children to socialise?

[debs40]

DS has just started a new school year. There are lots of people in his class he doesn;t know and he's been playing alone. He's 6, very probably AS and is overwhelmed.

His teacher said she had noticed it but it is early days but I knos sometimes he likes to be alone and I don't want to force it.

However, yesterday, he told me he didn't know how to join in with the others and that's why he plays by himself.

How do I help? His teacher seems lovely and open to suggestions.

I will do tea dates etc once he gets over his initial fear but in the meantime, do you think there are things that can be done to help him integrate?

Could the teacher organize some groups of 2/3 children to do a special activity with him for some of the breaks or lunchtimes?

Thanks folks, there are some good suggestions here. I feel terrible for bothering the teacher all the time as there seem to be so many lists of issues sometimes!

ds2's school had a nuture group, 3 or 4 children with a specialist teacher.
They focused on appropriate behaviour in the classroom, interaction with each other, personal space & how to join in at break times.

A buddy stop or friendship bench also works well for kids that are not good at making the first move. They go to the buddy stop/bench & other kids can see that they ahve no body to play with & go & invite them to join them.
It works very well & is used by all kids so not specific to sn & costs nothing to set up, just a word from the head in assembly!