The World's Most Trusted Social Boundaries Curriculum
The world's most trusted social boundaries curriculum. Harvard-validated and classroom-tested for 40 years across thousands of schools, Circles gives students with special needs the tools to navigate relationships safely.
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How Circles Works
Students place themselves at the center and learn that different people belong in different circles — each with its own rules for touch, talk, and trust.
Seven Circles. Seven Sets of Rules.
The concentric circles model gives students a concrete, visual way to understand social distance. Each ring represents a level of closeness — and students learn which behaviors are appropriate for each.
- Private Just me — my body, my thoughts
- Close Hug Family, caregivers — hugs and kisses
- Far-Away Hug Close friends — side hugs, linking arms
- Handshake Teachers, neighbors — handshakes, high fives
- Wave Acquaintances — wave and say hello
- Stranger Circle Unknown people — no touch, stay aware
- Stranger Space Public spaces — know the rules
Who Uses Circles
Circles is designed for students who need explicit instruction in social boundaries and relationship skills.
Autism & ASD Programs
Concrete, visual framework that replaces abstract social rules with clear, repeatable patterns students can internalize.
Life Skills & Transition
Prepares students for community living and independent social interactions — understanding who to trust, appropriate greetings, and safe relationships.
Speech & Language
Builds pragmatic language skills alongside boundary awareness — appropriate greetings, conversation distance, and tone.
Special Education
IEP-aligned lessons with built-in progress monitoring. Covers social-emotional goals required by most transition IEPs.
Interactive Practice
The Circles App lets students drag real people into the correct circles — making abstract boundary concepts concrete and personal. Coming soon.
Parents & Caregivers
Reinforce classroom learning at home. Parents can access the full Circles library through a Stanfield+ subscription.
Four Programs, One Framework
Each program builds on the concentric circles model with age-appropriate video modeling and ready-to-use lesson plans.
Circles Elementary
Introduces social boundaries to younger learners with simplified language, relatable scenarios, and playful activities designed for elementary classrooms.
Circles Level 1
The core curriculum — personal space, types of touch, levels of intimacy, and the fundamental rules for each circle of relationship.
Circles Level 2
Advanced relationship dynamics — dating, healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, consent, and navigating complex social situations independently.
Circles App
An interactive drag-and-drop tool that brings the concentric circles model to life. Students place real people into the correct circles — making abstract concepts concrete and personal.
The Circles App
An interactive, drag-and-drop tool that brings the concentric circles model to life in your classroom. Students place real people from their lives into the correct circles — making abstract concepts concrete and personal.
- Guided Mode Step-by-step lessons walk through each ring with audio and animations
- Free Play Students add people and drag them between circles independently
- Game Mode Quiz-style challenges test understanding with instant feedback
- Emoji People Personalize entries with 100+ emoji options
- Save & Resume Progress persists across sessions for each student
Proven by Research. Loved by Teachers.
Circles is one of the only social boundaries curricula with peer-reviewed evidence of effectiveness.
Harvard Study
"Students who completed the Circles curriculum demonstrated significant improvements in understanding social boundaries and appropriate levels of intimacy."
Harvard Graduate School of Education →Brown University Research
"Circles provides a concrete, visual framework that students with intellectual disabilities can understand and apply in real-world social situations."
40 Years of Classroom Use
First published in 1983 by Marklyn P. Champagne and Leslie Walker-Hirsch. Continuously refined based on teacher feedback. Used in all 50 states and internationally.
Trusted by Thousands of Educators
Teachers across the country rely on Circles to teach their most critical social-emotional lessons.
"Circles is the only curriculum my students actually remember and apply outside the classroom. The concentric model just clicks for them."
"I've been using Circles for 12 years. When parents tell me their child used the circles concept to handle a situation safely — that's when I know it works."
"The video modeling is incredible. My students with autism respond to watching real people demonstrate boundaries far better than any worksheet or lecture."
Aligned to the Standards You Need
Every lesson maps to the frameworks your district requires for IEP compliance and curriculum adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two Ways to Access Circles
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All 4 Circles programs with teacher guides, lesson plans, worksheets, and the interactive Circles App.
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