presented by: zatara bolden, positive behavior coach summer symposium 2014

Presented by: Zatara Bolden, Positive Behavior Coach Summer Symposium 2014

Definition: Social skills are those communication, problem-solving, decision making, self-management, and peer relations abilities that allow one to initiate, build, and maintain positive social relationships with others.

NOT everyone naturally gets social skills There is a direct correlation between poor social skills, behavior problems, and academic achievement! Poor Social Skills Behavior Problems Lack in academic achievement

Understanding social interactions helps us to predict the behavior of others Helps students take part in groups Helps students form friendships

Ones social competence is linked to peer acceptance, teacher acceptance, success of inclusion efforts with students with disabilities, and post school success.

Unable to handle rejection Greater difficulty with relationships Difficulty managing their own emotions Often have fewer skills for dealing with these problems

Four primary reasons that explain why students are socially unskilled:

They dont know another way to (re)act other than their present pattern of behavior They know (cognitively) other ways to behave, but havent had enough practice to display them competently. They tried another way, but it didnt work for them the first time(s) they tried it, so they assume that it would never work for them. Tension and anxiety interfere with the ability to perform the practiced behavior well in real life.

Be Proactive!! Not Reactive!! We are TEACHING!!

(Among other things)

How to approach others in social acceptable ways How to ask for permission rather than acting impulsively How to make and keep friends How to sharing toys/ materials

Work habits/ academic survival skills Listening Attending to task Following directions Seeking attention properly Accepting the consequences of ones behavior

Counting to 10 before reacting Distracting oneself to a pleasureable task Learning an internal dialogue to cool oneself down and reflect upon the best course of action

Using words instead of physical contact Seeking the assistance of the teacher or conflict resolution team

1.Discuss the need for Social Skills 2.Select a Social Skill 3.Teach the Skill 4.Practice the Skill 5.Pause and Reflect 6.Review and Reflect

FOR TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS

Strategy #1 Helpful for students with limited receptive ability Help students learn basic words so they can later respond to verbal instructions and questions Help students attend to a task when they do not respond to verbal instructions to pay attention Help students maintain eye contact, and to identify objects, actions, or adjectives

What does it consist of?? Four components: A cue, prompt, behavior, and reinforcement Highly structured Relies heavily on the teacher cueing the child Build prerequisite language and attention in preparation for other kinds of social skills training that may facilitate greater social interaction

Strategy #2 Teaching a student about a social situation as it is occurring rather than in a structured lesson GOAL: to amplify the social environment as it is unfolding so the student picks up on social cues, rules, others feelings and perceptions that are all part of the social situation Must always be part of teaching social skills because it involves teaching students in the real situations where they need the skills

Explain to the student what is happening in a social situation through words or visuals, and by coaching and praising the students behavior. Incidental Teaching

Strategy #3 Mini-books that depict, step by step, children demonstrating various social skills Each skill is presented like a cartoon strip

Strategy #4 Utilizes cartoon-like drawings on index cards combined with positive reinforcement principles Students are shown the sequence of cards until they can repeat what is happening in each picture Sequence is reviewed just before the student enters the potentially problematic situation

1.The antecedents to a problem situation 2.The targeted desired behavior 3.A positive reinforcer

Strategy #5 Core Teaching Model: Four Teaching Components Didactic Instruction Modeling of skill steps Role Playing skills with feedback Practice in and outside the group

Involves the teacher explaining the steps of a particular skill Verbal or Written The key to this approach is to engage the childs attention

Once the skill steps have been explained, it is important to model them for the students before asking them to carry them out. To do this, the facilitator needs (a) a situation to act out (b) co-actors. Students and teachers can serve as co-actors to help model the skill. Before the skill is modeled, it is important to give the students who are observing very specific instructions on what to look for to maintain their attention.

During role-plays, students are asked to act out the skill steps in the right order. More effective when done with two teachers or one teacher and two students (this way the teacher can avoid participating in the role-play directly and act as a coach to help students through the skill steps) The observers of the role-play should be given instructions to see if each step is done correctly or not

After each role play, the teacher provides feedback about how each step was enacted. Feedback should always begin by noting what was performed correctly and include ample praise Observing students are asked to tell what the role playing students did well. Always give corrective feedback!!!

Lastly,

Structured Learning is about to take place!

http://autismteachingstrategies.com/autism-strategies/pie-chart-visuals-great-social-skills-tool-to-help-kids- with-asd-to-talk-more-or-less-in-groups-or-class/ PIE CHART TEMPLATE

Raise awareness of okay vs. not-okay things to say when you are mad Introduce and reinforce the idea that thoughts can be filtered before they are turned into words. http://autismteachingstrategies.com/autism-strategies/filter-the-anger-a- hands-on-social-skills-activity-to-help-kids-with-autism-to-manage-angry- verbal-outbursts/

http://autismteachingstrategies.co m/autism-strategies/green-zone- part-2-downloads-see-previous- blog-for-text-directions-etc/

Tell the kids: This is Compliment Tag. A compliment is when you say something nice to someone about the way they look, something they have, something they did, something they said, or they way they are. When you play Compliment Tag, the person who is it tries to tag you. To keep from becoming it, you have to give this person a compliment quickly before they tag you. If they tag you before you can give them a compliment, then you are it.

ANGRYBEING TOLD NO HAPPY SAD OPENING A GIFT CONFUSED

SITUATIONNEGATIVEPOSITIVE You have to take a test. I am going to fail. This is going to be too hard. Ill try the best I can and be happy with that. It will be OK. You are going to a new school You need to ask the teacher a question

A Decision Making Visual that allows the student to determine what happens next, depending on whether they make a red choice or a green choice. RED CHOICEGREEN CHOICE

Posting visuals around the classroom Engaging in open conversations with other teachers, administrators, parents, etc. (in front of students) during unstructured times (cafeteria, hallway, playground) Displaying some emotions in the class to the class (be careful about this one!!!)

Social skills training can take place in a large classroom or in a small group The teacher may use a daily show and tell or morning meeting to work on conversation skills like staying on topic and starting a conversation. In the classroom, the formal skill lesson may be conducted early in the week and the less structured practice times spread out during the rest of the week through specific conversation and play activities organized by the classroom teacher

When conducting Social Skills in the classroom, it is beneficial to develop a daily plan that outlines which social skills you all will teach throughout the day. See example

http://www.behavioradvisor.com/SocialSkills.ht ml http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction- and-Assessment/Special-Education- Services/Documents/IDEAS%2013%20Handouts/So cial%20Skills%20in%20the%20Classroom%20ppt.pd f Baker, Ph.D, Jed E. (2003). Social Skills Training: For Children and Adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome and Social- Communication Problems. Kansas: Autism Asperger Publishing Co

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!!!