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Although SEL has been around for decades, many school and district administrators are at the forefront of implementing SEL initiatives. As you navigate the implementation process, it’s crucial to carefully choose an SEL curriculum that meets your students’ needs and aligns with your school and district goals. Here are six questions to consider as you begin the process of selecting an SEL curriculum.

There is a lot of misinformation around social-emotional learning’s purpose in schools, which makes some communities uncomfortable with it being taught. Let’s take a look at four of the most common misconceptions about SEL and the facts that dispel them.

This year will present opportunities to better serve students as well as challenges that can negatively impact special education if not handled properly. It’s important for school districts to stay informed about special education trends, policy changes, and other topics that can impact their ability to provide students with an equitable education.

We’re thrilled to announce that Character Creator is now live and ready for your students to explore! Character Creator not only adds an exciting layer of personalization to Ava, but it also gives students the opportunity to apply essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills.

Autistic people are often viewed as having a deficit because they do not always communicate in ways that neurotypical people find “normal.” This puts the burden of empathy and understanding primarily on the autistic person instead of both parties putting in equal effort to communicate and understand each other. The double empathy problem is the idea that it’s difficult for people to communicate and understand each other when they have different experiences and backgrounds.

Educators know that classroom transitions can make or break a lesson. This is especially true for autistic students and other neurodivergent students who sometimes have difficulty staying focused while switching tasks, experience anxiety when unsure about what to do next, or become overstimulated by the noise that comes from unmanaged transitions. 

Undiagnosed autistic students are often overlooked because they do not exhibit the stereotypical signs of autism. Although educators cannot diagnose students, they play a large role in gathering the evidence psychologists use to make diagnoses. By learning about lesser-known autism characteristics, educators can advocate for early identification and ensure their students receive the resources and support they need to succeed. 

Social-emotional learning empowers autistic students and creates an overall more positive learning environment for students and staff.These 15 activities allow students to explore all five CASEL competencies in fun, engaging ways.

As the neurodivergent population continues to increase, it’s important that schools are equipped with the assistive technology they need to provide an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students. Neurodivergent students, specifically autistic students, tend to benefit from assistive technology that provides visual, sensory, motor, or communication support.

Social Cipher's online game, Ava, is designed based on the five CASEL competencies that are used as the foundation for SEL programs throughout the world. As students play the game, they take on the role of an autistic star mapper named Ava who uses SEL skills to overcome challenges and obstacles

Many school districts aren’t knowledgeable or prepared to provide adequate services to their neurodivergent students. If school districts want to empower neurodivergent students, they must create an environment where they feel safe, supported, and welcomed. 

Kahoot! and the LEGO Foundation teamed up to create the Uniting Minds content collection full of games, courses, and lesson plans that raise awareness about neurodiversity and inclusivity.

There are tons of myths floating around about autism that are harmful to the autistic community and the people who work with them.

Ava and the crew are back for another adventure, and this time they’re learning about needs!

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.

We've been hard at work and are thrilled to share that today we are launching a brand new game mode filled with limitless possibilities, World Builder! World Builder is our latest game mode that lets players design and create their own fantasy world while exploring the building blocks of SEL. Players can now design a world with their creative and adventurous spirit, whether building a home, a pirate ship, or anything else they can dream up. 

Social Cipher was selected to be a new member of the LEGO Foundation’s Play for All Accelerator to help expand their reach around the world to neurodivergent children in schools and at home.