”especially for you”

”Especially for you”

Tuula Palomäki-Jägerroos

lecturer, vocational special education teacher, MNSc

Keskuspuisto Vocational College, Arla unitFor Work and Independent Life Preparatory and

Rehabilitative Training 2 TYVA

Building and strenhtening social skills with Picture cards

• target group• MDVI students • Employees and staff

members on promoting social skills in Work and Activity Centres and in Supported Working

• students’ families • personal instructors in

leisure time

Why has the good practice been developed, which need it meets

To build up social skills and communication

Why has the good practice been developed, which need it meets

• Employees and staff members in Work and Activity Centres and in Supported Working need material and educational model– On talking about emotional skills – On promoting MDVI students to name and

describe their feelings, thoughts and desires – To give each student a chance to reach his or

hers full potential – On emphasizing meaningful relationships

Why has the good practice been developed, which need it meets

• To achieve the goals of promoting social skills – F.ex. communication,

solving problems, group assignments, making choises

Why has the good practice been developed, which need it meets

• In order to develope the know how of staff – To support students

experience of participating and belonging to institutions of surrounding society

Description of the process

• The developing activity was made possible by ESR-funding in Mental well-being project 2009 – 2013

• Healthy College Material and picture cards are meant for tutors, educational staff and workpalce tutors to stregthen vocational knowledge and skills about mental well-being as a resource

Description of the process 2/2

– Professionals provide both different social situations and training of social skills (encourage to get interested in age-mates, introduce a student to the group, to make friends, social codes)

– Own feelings can be described by different weather patterns or landscape

• E.g. sunshine, rain, thunder, storm, rainbow, traffic jam, countryside or city

Experiences of the results

• students: better self esteem, and emotional well being, can better identify and name emotions and feelings, understand how their feelings affects, empathy skills and self regulation E.g. how to take hold own anger, and to give and receive feedback

Experiences of the results

• Professionals (new educational tools to support students’ self – confidence. Picture cards help to process different emotions f.ex. success, frustration, aggression)

• Picture cards help to recognize the meaning of emotions f.ex. in our perception, learnig, remembering and interaction, creating safety atmosphere)

What kind of time consuming, economical an other resources

does the execution require

Using Picture cards as educational material require only positive attitude. Picture cards are produced by Mental well-being project 2009 – 2013

Contacts• Jaana Aalto, team leader, responsible for the group,

lecturer, special education teacher• Tuula Palomäki-Jägerroos responsible for the group,

lecturer, special education teacher• Asta Kohtala, instructor, group pedagogue• Zahid Lotfollahi, instructor in movability and Braille• - Personal instructors• Email in the form: firstname.surname@keskuspuisto.fi• Keskuspuisto Vocational College, Arla unit• Puustellinmäki 4-6, 02650 Espoo, Finland• Tel: +358-9-511081 switchboard