5 Ways Social Cipher Supports Understaffed Schools

In many schools, staffing shortages affect everything. Special education teachers have overwhelming caseloads, general education teachers are managing complex classrooms with limited support, counselors are stretched across grade levels, and administrators are balancing compliance, discipline, and staffing gaps. Everyone is being asked to do more, often without additional time or training.

In that environment, adding “one more program” is not helpful. Social Cipher’s comprehensive social-emotional learning (SEL) platform, Ava, was built with these realities in mind. Created with autistic and ADHD students in mind, the curriculum, online game, and educator dashboard are designed to provide meaningful SEL support for students while reducing adult lift.

1) Saves Prep Time for Educators

Time is one of the most limited resources in understaffed schools. With Ava, lessons, discussions, and pacing are already mapped out using Universal Design Learning (UDL) principles. Educators can begin facilitation without building materials from scratch, which reduces prep time and makes it possible to deliver SEL instruction without adding to already full schedules.

The Ava platform includes:

• Ready-to-use modules based on CASEL competencies
• Curriculum and supplemental activities designed for neurodiverse classes
• Guided discussion prompts that provide insight into how students interpret situations and make choices
• Adjustable pacing for different class lengths or scheduling needs
• Built-in pre- and post-assessments to monitor skill development

These features are especially helpful in schools where classes are frequently covered by substitute teachers and educators teaching outside of their certification area. Staff can step in and facilitate without extra preparation or deep SEL experience.

2) Reduces Behavior Incidents

In understaffed schools, behavior management is often reactive. There is usually not enough time or neurodiversity-affirming training to consistently identify and address the root causes and skill gaps. This leads to repeated behavior incidents and ongoing strain on students and staff.

Ava focuses on building foundational skills such as:

• Emotional regulation
• Perspective-taking
• Self-advocacy
• Problem-solving
• Flexible thinking

While playing the game, students encounter social and emotional situations, such as meeting new people or trying new things. They make decisions that influence the direction of the story, which allows them to see the cause-and-effect of their choices and practice problem-solving in a safe environment.

When students build these skills proactively, it can reduce repeated incidents that consume staff time and energy.

When special education teacher Meghan G. implemented Ava in her middle school class, her class experienced a decrease in behavior incidents and improvement in peer interactions. One student went from weekly behavior incidents that included throwing desks to less intense incidents once a month. Meghan observed that he became better able to identify what he needed and ask for it before becoming overwhelmed.

If you have more than 10 students, you can try Ava for free for one month. Learn more about our free pilot program here.

3) Makes Tier 2 Interventions Sustainable

MTSS frameworks often require small group interventions that demand time, materials, and specialized knowledge. In understaffed schools, it can be especially difficult to consistently implement interventions.

Ava can serve as an MTSS Tier 2 intervention within:

• Small groups
• Resource settings
• Advisory periods
• Dedicated SEL blocks

Educators can filter modules by targeted skills such as self-management or relationship skills, allowing MTSS teams to align instruction to student needs without designing custom materials for each group. Built-in assessments and the educator dashboard also provide data points that can support progress monitoring. The data points are categorized the same way as the curriculum for easy filtering and targeting of supports.

4) Minimizes Classroom Redirection

When students disengage, teacher workload increases. Redirection, repeated instructions, and managing off-task behavior require extra time and energy that many educators do not have.

Designed by a neurodiverse team, Ava allows students to engage directly with the characters, make decisions, and determine outcomes, which help sustain attention without constant redirection.

5) Builds Staff Confidence

Many educators are supporting autistic students and students with ADHD without in-depth training on neurodiversity-affirming practices. They may want to be supportive but lack confidence in how to respond in ways that build skills rather than escalate behavior.

Ava does not replace professional development, but it provides:

• Clear, shared language around regulation and self-advocacy
• Reflection prompts that provide insight into students’ reasoning and processing
• Scenarios that model supportive, affirming responses to common challenges
• A strengths-based lens that validates neurodivergent experiences rather than framing them as deficits.

With both neurodivergent and neurotypical characters, Ava models interactions that reflect the real world and shows multiple ways of navigating them.

The curriculum and game also give educators guidance on how to frame conversations around behavior and social challenges in ways that center skill-building instead of compliance.

For schools seeking additional support, Social Cipher also offers professional development that equips staff to apply neurodiversity-affirming practices with confidence and consistency. You can learn more here.