How Social Cipher by Ava Supports IEP Goals

According to the Pew Research Center, 15% of all public school students receive special education and/or related services, and that number is steadily growing. Unfortunately, many schools are struggling to fully support special education students due to teacher shortages, lack of resources, and undertrained staff. 

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This leads to noncompliance which, regardless of the reason, does a disservice to students and leaves the door open to lawsuits and loss of funding. Social Cipher addresses these concerns through Ava – our evidence-based, SEL video game created specifically for neurodivergent students.

Common IEP Goals and Ava

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Our award-winning SEL video game empowers students to work on their social-emotional IEP goals in a safe environment before applying what they learn in the real-world.  Each Ava module focuses on different SEL skills and presents challenges that enable the students to practice those skills while playing the role of Ava, an autistic star-mapper.

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Check out these common IEP goals and how Ava can help your students meet them:

Problem-Solving Goals

The student will:

• Learn and apply problem-solving strategies to address conflicts or challenges effectively
• Demonstrate improved decision-making skills by making thoughtful and responsible choices

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How Ava aligns: 

Ava is all about solving problems! All 3 modules present multiple tasks, called quests, that the student must complete to progress to the next section. Students strengthen their problem-solving skills by navigating through different environments, barriers, and conflicts.

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Example: 

In the upcoming Needs module, which will be released on September 1, the student is tasked with building a town. The student will face obstacles such as how to complete the job when given vague instructions and how to advocate for themselves and friends against a rude manager. 

Emotional Regulation Goals

The student will:

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• Identify their emotions and use coping strategies to manage and express them appropriately.
• Use appropriate techniques to manage stress or anxiety in social situations.
• Demonstrate improved emotional regulation by engaging in fewer outbursts.

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How Ava aligns: 

Ava presents challenges that teach students how to manage and express their emotions in a healthy way. Within each episode, the student will have the opportunity to overcome challenges by learning and practicing multiple coping strategies. The strategies that students learn in the game can be applied in real-world situations, resulting in fewer outbursts and meltdowns.

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Example: 

In Episode 3, “Needs,” Ava wants Redbraid to help her build a town, but Redbraid wants to go to her favorite artist’s concert. The student will help Ava explore different ways to communicate and cope with her disappointment and learn what to do when plans change.

Social Skills Goal

The student will:

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• Develop and practice active listening skills during conversations.

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How Ava aligns:

In each episode, Ava and the characters learn how to listen to each other and work as a team to achieve common goals. Together, they explore topics such as trust, trying new things, and identifying needs. 

Example:

In Episode 1, “Trust,” Ava is seeking friends to help her repair the ship. Throughout the episode, the student will meet different neurodivergent characters and make decisions about who to trust and how to be trustworthy.

Empathy and Perspective-taking Goals

The student will:

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• Demonstrate an understanding of others’ feelings by showing empathy and offering appropriate support.
• The student will consider different perspectives and share their own thoughts respectfully during disagreements or conflicts.

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How Ava aligns: 

In each episode, the student has the opportunity to listen, understand the other characters’ perspectives, and support them as they work through different challenges. Students learn that everyone manages their emotions differently, so it’s important to show empathy and respect for others.

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Example:

In Episode 3, Lior (a selectively-speaking autistic engineer) feels overwhelmed. The student will learn ways to be supportive and empathetic by helping Lior choose a coping strategy to manage their emotions.

Self-Advocacy Goal

The student will:

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• Effectively communicate their needs and seek help when required.

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How Ava aligns: 

Throughout the episodes, the student is faced with challenges that require them to advocate for themselves and ask other characters for help. 

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Example: 

Episode 3 centers around recognizing and addressing needs. Through a series of tasks, the student will be prompted to communicate what materials Ava needs to complete her task as well as what she needs emotionally.

Self-Esteem and Confidence Goals

The student will:

• Actively participate in activities and challenges, demonstrating increased self-confidence.

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How Ava aligns: 

Episode 2, “Trying New Things,” is all about helping students increase their self-confidence when exploring new things and dealing with change.

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Example: 

In Episode 2, Ava shuts down because she is upset about a change in her routine. Throughout the episode, the student explores different coping strategies which increases their confidence in being able to handle change and challenges.

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Each episode of Ava comes with a curriculum full of activities and conversation starters to deepen the student’s understanding of SEL topics. For example, an activity in the Episode 1 curriculum guides students to explore coping strategies and list the ones that are the most effective for them. This knowledge of coping strategies can reduce student meltdowns and behavior incidents, which can be quantified and used as evidence towards IEP goal completion.

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Whether facilitators use the supplemental curriculum or implement the game as a stand-alone activity, students will gain SEL skills that will benefit them in the classroom and beyond.

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Interested in getting Ava for your district or therapy center? Schedule a chat with us!‍

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