“It wouldn’t be fun if we were all the same,” said Junior Tyler Rossell. Rossell comes to school everyday just like any other student. However, he is not your typical high school student. Rossell, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, says he has problems communicating with other people. As a result, Rossell said, “Sometimes it is hard making friends.” Four years ago, some of his teachers realized the lack of interaction with his fellow peers, so they decided to found a chapter of Circle of Friends. This organization that was founded in 1999, was created to make an inclusive environment for students with disabilities.

In the United States, nearly one in five Americans live with some kind of disability. Students with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied in high school than their non-disabled peers, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Rossell said that he has experienced bullying because of his disability, and that people have been mean to him in the past. “When people say that stuff, I get hurt. It’s like a wooden stake through a vampire,” he said. Junior Emily Cady said, “You shouldn’t just follow the status quo,” referring to some of her peers who make fun of these students when in their friend groups. Circle of Friends aims to stop bullying among these students by having them interact with some of their non-disabled peers.

According to Janet Henne, the sponsor of Circle of Friends, “The group goes out into the community and does activities such as going to the movie theater, watching Bulldog sporting events, or making Christmas ornaments for the nursing homes.” In addition to these activities, “They also do normal teenage activities such as eating out or going shopping with friends. One of our former members had never been to a restaurant or Walmart with friends, so that was a completely new experience for him,” she said. Sophomore Brook Chromy said his favorite memory is going to his first basketball game with Circle of Friends. “I remember yelling random stuff with my friends at the opposing team during their free throws. We laughed so hard after that,” Chromy said. Throughout these weekly interactions, have fun while having conversations to get to know each other better. “There is a lot of socialization due to the fun activities which helps opens kids up to finding new friends,” said Henne. When talking about the conversations he has had, Chromy said, “You get to learn about different people and their personalities which creates new perspectives on life.”

Henne said the group not only becomes friends, but they learn life lessons from being around each other. Cady said the most important thing she has learned this far is, “They are not that different from the rest of us,” Cady said. “It’s not in their control. They don’t know how to express themselves the way we do.” Cady said that Circle of Friends has provided her with a different experience than what she is used to and she is thankful for that. “I am not normally around these people,” Cady said. As a result of these new friendships she said, “I’ve started to think about what I do and say and how it affects people.”

Circle of Friends continues to change the conversation around students and people with disabilities. It aims to inform its members of the importance of being kind to others, even when they are different from the “norm.” By forming these friendships, Circle of Friends allows students with disabilities to get out and be involved in the community. If you are interested in joining you still can by contacting Janet Henne at [email protected].