Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. At Lucy Beckham High School, a lunch club is assisting neurodiverse pupils in developing important life skills.
Parents would like to see the Charleston County School District extend its program and provide more social opportunities for neurodiverse pupils.
According to research, when children on the autism spectrum have stronger social lives, they perform better in school, have less behavioral concerns, and are better prepared to attend college or enter the economy.
The ‘Lunch Bunch’ club is a social club for Lucy Beckham High School’s neurodivergent students. It allows kids to practice important skills like forming friendships.
“A facilitator will help guide the conversations,” explained Dr. Kim Maino. “It makes them feel like they’re in a safe space.”
Dr. Kim Maino and her autistic daughter Lily, along with Mr. Martin, helped bring the Lunch Bunch to Lucy Beckham High School. Dr. Maino has already observed a significant difference in her daughter.
“My daughter has been someone who didn’t have a lot of friendships, and now she has someone to text, someone to go to the movies with, and it’s all been through these social clubs,” Dr. Maino told me.
These social activities not only help students develop friendships and improve their communication skills, but they also help them do better in class.
“It makes them feel a part of the school, and having that sense of community and that sense of belonging makes them have a more positive outlook and allows them to be less disconnected in the classroom,” Dr. Maino told me.
Dr. Maino now hopes that the district would take these organizations a step further by utilizing their resources to promote social events for neurodivergent children.
“To me, this should be something they should invest in at all the high schools, even middle school level, elementary schools,” according to Dr. Maino. “It would be wonderful if we could have special events for teens that have sensory impairment where they can feel like they’re part of the community and part of the event and enjoy it.”
The Charleston County School District stated that it received Dr. Maino’s proposal over the weekend. They have lunch bunch clubs in several high schools, but they hope to discover new ways to support all students in the district.
