Circle of Friends

Santa Monica’s Lincoln Middle School provides classes for both developmentally disabled children and mainstream students. To help develop relations between the regular-class children and disabled students, parents organized a lunchtime club called Circle of Friends, where children can honestly express their fears, ask questions about their differences and explore their emotions about one other.

Linda Safan’s son Alec, 13, was the first “full inclusion” student at the school, moving two years ago from special to mainstream classes. “Alec has Down Syndrome and is very shy,” said Safan. She began Circle of Friends “so that all kids that wanted wpoiuldas a friendship club and a place for kids with disabilities to make friends. It has grown to at least 75 members who come every Tuesday to hang out.”

Here are photos from recent meetings of the club.