Incorporating Social Skills Incorporating Social Skills in the School Settingin the School Setting

Tara ChildsTara Childs

Heather WestonHeather Weston

Hanover County Public SchoolsHanover County Public Schools

Why teach social skillsWhy teach social skills

All environments are socialAll environments are social Compensation for social skills deficits is Compensation for social skills deficits is

impossibleimpossible If a student learns incidentally, he/ she If a student learns incidentally, he/ she

would already have learned these skills would already have learned these skills (obviously that is not the case)(obviously that is not the case)

Students need direct instructionStudents need direct instruction

Lavoie. (1994)Lavoie. (1994)

The purpose of social skills The purpose of social skills instruction is to provide students instruction is to provide students with ASD the means to acquire skills with ASD the means to acquire skills to function socially when they to function socially when they CHOOSE to do so, or NEED to do so.CHOOSE to do so, or NEED to do so.

McAfee, J. (2002) McAfee, J. (2002)

What we know about current What we know about current teaching practices and social skillsteaching practices and social skills

Current practices are ineffectiveCurrent practices are ineffective Not enough time spentNot enough time spent Not in natural settingsNot in natural settings Deficits are not matched to strategies Deficits are not matched to strategies

usedused Often no assessments are usedOften no assessments are used No systemic programmingNo systemic programming Interventions not being used effectivelyInterventions not being used effectively

Reasons people with ASD are Reasons people with ASD are unemployedunemployed

Lack of social pragmaticsLack of social pragmatics Lack of social skills developmentLack of social skills development Behavioral issuesBehavioral issues Missing supportsMissing supports

Social skills are extremely important!Social skills are extremely important!

Most employers value good social skills over good Most employers value good social skills over good vocational skills!vocational skills!

Herm FishbeinHerm Fishbein

Social InteractionSocial Interaction

Joint AttentionJoint Attention Process of sharing one’s experienceProcess of sharing one’s experience

Executive FunctionExecutive Function Organizational cognitive brain functionOrganizational cognitive brain function

Theory of MindTheory of Mind Understanding different perspectives, point of view, Understanding different perspectives, point of view,

thoughts, emotions, etc.thoughts, emotions, etc.

Components of Successful Components of Successful Social InteractionsSocial Interactions

Thinking

Feeling

Doing

S. Bellini, Ph.D., 2006

There is a difference…There is a difference…Type of Skill Type of Skill

Deficit Deficit DefinitionDefinition Focus of Intervention Focus of Intervention

Skill Skill Does not Does not possess skill, possess skill, thus cannot thus cannot perform skillperform skill

Teach the skills!Teach the skills!

PerformancePerformance Does possess Does possess skill but cannot skill but cannot perform skillperform skill

Remove barriers that Remove barriers that impede interaction impede interaction and add and add accommodations that accommodations that will aide with will aide with performance.performance.

Factors that Affect Factors that Affect PerformancePerformance

MotivationMotivation Sensory Needs Sensory Needs Mood/AnxietyMood/Anxiety Attention and Impulsivity ControlAttention and Impulsivity Control Memory Memory Self-EfficacySelf-Efficacy Mobility and Movement DifferencesMobility and Movement Differences

Your RoleYour Role

Emphasize competence! Emphasize competence! Pick times when the student is doing something Pick times when the student is doing something

in which they are confident. If the student in which they are confident. If the student loves building with logos, let the peer join in loves building with logos, let the peer join in with that activitywith that activity

Be careful with pairing with kids that are much Be careful with pairing with kids that are much more competent in a skill (Especially with AS)more competent in a skill (Especially with AS)

Work towards equal partnershipWork towards equal partnership If student is slow-paced pair with a peer that is If student is slow-paced pair with a peer that is

slow-paced too.slow-paced too.

In terms of InstructionIn terms of Instruction

Baseline: Where is he at? What skills does he have? What Baseline: Where is he at? What skills does he have? What skills are missing? What skills does he display regularly? skills are missing? What skills does he display regularly? What skills are not yet used effectively?What skills are not yet used effectively?

Create goals and plan for teaching skills needed Create goals and plan for teaching skills needed Plan what activities are going to be reinforcing to all Plan what activities are going to be reinforcing to all

students involved students involved Create materials and scripts… What accommodations are Create materials and scripts… What accommodations are

going to be needed!going to be needed! Collect data Collect data Reevaluate and rework social skills programReevaluate and rework social skills program The lesson itself should include defining the skill, modeling The lesson itself should include defining the skill, modeling

the skill, rehearsing the skill, and evaluating how the the skill, rehearsing the skill, and evaluating how the rehearsal went and how people used the skillrehearsal went and how people used the skill

Programming timeProgramming time

Resource room:Resource room: Actively teach social thinking vocabulary to establish a Actively teach social thinking vocabulary to establish a

stronger environment of social cooperation (pair with stronger environment of social cooperation (pair with curriculum)curriculum)

Communicate with the other teachers what concepts have Communicate with the other teachers what concepts have been introduced.been introduced.

Self-Contained Classroom:Self-Contained Classroom: Establish a regular time, on a daily basis where social thinking Establish a regular time, on a daily basis where social thinking

vocabulary is introduced, expanded or maintained in the vocabulary is introduced, expanded or maintained in the classroom classroom

Connect social thinking for social skills to social thinking for Connect social thinking for social skills to social thinking for understanding the curriculum. Make modifications to ensure understanding the curriculum. Make modifications to ensure understanding. understanding.

You will still want to communicate to the other members of You will still want to communicate to the other members of the team what concepts have been introduced.the team what concepts have been introduced.

Programming cont.Programming cont.

Paraprofessionals:Paraprofessionals: Carry over the lessons introduced in the special Carry over the lessons introduced in the special

education classes.education classes. Use social thinking vocabulary during teachable Use social thinking vocabulary during teachable

moments.moments. Help integrate the ideas of social thinking Help integrate the ideas of social thinking

across the day.across the day.

Learning to monitor one’sLearning to monitor one’sown behaviorown behavior

Encourage students to define and track one Encourage students to define and track one or two behaviors related to classroom or two behaviors related to classroom cooperation or productivity.cooperation or productivity.

Have them reward themselves for sticking Have them reward themselves for sticking with their target behavior.with their target behavior.

Create behavior charts or use with a behavior Create behavior charts or use with a behavior contractcontract

Hidden CurriculumHidden Curriculum

The “unwritten rules”The “unwritten rules”

Refers to the expectations that Refers to the expectations that change due to who you are talking change due to who you are talking to, where you are, and what is to, where you are, and what is emotionally charges at the timeemotionally charges at the time

Must be taught directlyMust be taught directly

Intervention for kids with Intervention for kids with poor social skills is not quite poor social skills is not quite so simple as teaching them so simple as teaching them

better social skills.better social skills.

We need to help teach students to We need to help teach students to become more efficient social become more efficient social thinkers, before we can expect them thinkers, before we can expect them to produce better social skills.to produce better social skills.

Social StoriesSocial Stories

Carol GrayCarol Gray Used to explain social situations, what Used to explain social situations, what

behaviors are expected, and how their behaviors are expected, and how their behaviors affect othersbehaviors affect others

Works to teach the hidden curriculumWorks to teach the hidden curriculum Should be positiveShould be positive Make sure to explain vs. tellMake sure to explain vs. tell Should be reviewed daily and before each Should be reviewed daily and before each

social eventsocial event

Comic-Strip ConversationsComic-Strip Conversations

Carol GrayCarol Gray The use of a comic The use of a comic

strip style drawing strip style drawing to show what to show what people say, do, people say, do, and thinkand think

Uses symbols and Uses symbols and colors to clarifycolors to clarify

Peer Buddies/ TutorsPeer Buddies/ Tutors Peers can be valuable Peers can be valuable

coachescoaches They can be prompters They can be prompters

and reinforcers!and reinforcers! Peers model appropriate Peers model appropriate

skillsskills Keep it simpleKeep it simple Structure the interactionsStructure the interactions Create a time to practiceCreate a time to practice Make it enjoyable!!!Make it enjoyable!!!

Peer NetworksPeer Networks

A clique or group A clique or group that the student that the student could joincould join

Train the group on Train the group on ASD and strategies ASD and strategies that can help them that can help them to prompt social to prompt social interactionsinteractions

Monitor the groupMonitor the group

ScriptingScripting

Can use to teach a variety of Can use to teach a variety of different social skillsdifferent social skills

Written script for a specific setting or Written script for a specific setting or situation– What do they need to do situation– What do they need to do or to sayor to say

Role PlayRole Play

5 Point Scale5 Point Scale

Kari Dunn BuronKari Dunn Buron

Used to explain the grey areasUsed to explain the grey areas

Gives students a visual pictureGives students a visual picture

Use in unison with social Use in unison with social stories and cartooningstories and cartooning

Temple Grandin’s Temple Grandin’s Social Rule SystemSocial Rule System

Really bad thingsReally bad things AssaultAssault

Courtesy rulesCourtesy rules Saying “please” and “thank you”Saying “please” and “thank you”

Illegal but not badIllegal but not bad speedingspeeding

Sins of the System (SOS)Sins of the System (SOS) illogical rules that must be absolutely followedillogical rules that must be absolutely followed you will be fired from work if you commit an SOS you will be fired from work if you commit an SOS

no matter how good your work it.no matter how good your work it.

Temple Temple GrandinGrandin

Power CardsPower Cards Elisa GagnonElisa Gagnon Present a short scenario of how a child’s hero/ Present a short scenario of how a child’s hero/

favored topic solves a problem (written in first favored topic solves a problem (written in first person)person)

Then present the power card which tells how the Then present the power card which tells how the child can use the same strategy that their hero child can use the same strategy that their hero used ( in 3-5 steps) and a picture of the hero / used ( in 3-5 steps) and a picture of the hero / special interestspecial interest

Introduce one card at a timeIntroduce one card at a time To be carried in a pocket, wallet, etc. and is easily To be carried in a pocket, wallet, etc. and is easily

accessible by the student at all timesaccessible by the student at all times New cards can be added when the first skill has New cards can be added when the first skill has

been internalized by the studentbeen internalized by the student

Social Thinking and the Social Thinking and the Social Skills Mapping Social Skills Mapping

TechniqueTechnique Michelle Garcia WinnerMichelle Garcia Winner A cognitive behavior strategy to teach A cognitive behavior strategy to teach

individuals about the specific relationship individuals about the specific relationship between behaviors, other's perspective, between behaviors, other's perspective, other's actions (consequences), and the other's actions (consequences), and the student's own emotions about those student's own emotions about those around him or her. around him or her.

Promotes understanding of these abstract Promotes understanding of these abstract concepts through a Flow Chartconcepts through a Flow Chart

Social AutopsySocial Autopsy

Helps the students understand their social Helps the students understand their social mistakemistake

When the mistake occurs the student talks When the mistake occurs the student talks with the teacher to identify the mistake with the teacher to identify the mistake and who was harmed by itand who was harmed by it

Then the student and the teacher make a Then the student and the teacher make a plan to prevent reoccurrenceplan to prevent reoccurrence

This is NOT a punishment!This is NOT a punishment!

Video ModelingVideo Modeling

More effective than live modelingMore effective than live modeling

Leads to generalization of skillsLeads to generalization of skills

Shows dramatic impact and quick progressShows dramatic impact and quick progress

Uses the highly visual learning style without requiring the difficult Uses the highly visual learning style without requiring the difficult social interactionsocial interaction

Is focused on the skill being taught and does not have much other Is focused on the skill being taught and does not have much other stimulistimuli

Video Self ModelingVideo Self Modeling

A short (no more than a minute or two) video A short (no more than a minute or two) video showing the student completing something showing the student completing something successfully.successfully.

Prompts, mistakes, assistance are edited out Prompts, mistakes, assistance are edited out so that the student sees themselves doing the so that the student sees themselves doing the task independently. task independently.

Skill being addressed must be within the Skill being addressed must be within the ability level of the child.ability level of the child.

Can be role playing or in a natural settingCan be role playing or in a natural setting

References and Further References and Further ResourcesResources

Bellini, S. (2006). Building Social Relationships. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

Buron, K.D. (2007). A 5 is against the law! Social boundaries: Straight up! An honest guide for teens and young adults. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

Buron, K.D. & Curtis, M. (2003). The incredible 5-point scale: Assisting students with autism spectrum disorders in understanding social interactions and controlling their emotional responses. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

Gagnon, E. (2001). Power cards: Using special interests to motivate children and youth with asperger syndrome and autism. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

Grandin, T. & Barron, S. (2005 ). Unwritten rules of social relationships: Decoding social mysteries through the unique perspectives of autism. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

References and Further References and Further Resources cont.Resources cont.

Gray, C. www.thegraycenter.org Gutstein, S. E. & Sheely, R. K. (2002). Relationship Development

Intervention with Children, Adolescents, and Adults. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsley

Henry S. & Myles, B.S. (2007). The comprehensive autism planning system (CAPS) for individuals with asperger’s syndrome, autism, and related disabilities: Integrating best practices throughout the student’s day. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.

McAfee, J. (2002). Navigating the social world: A curriculum for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, high functioning autism and related disorders. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

Moyes, R. A. (2001). Incorporating Social Goals in the Classroom. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd.

The Behavior Guy http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8e8dc6f99b975754493e and http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=31727f3e7be457307c3a

Winner, M.G. www.socialthinking.com