promoting communication and social skills for adolescents and adults with autism strategies for...
TRANSCRIPT
Promoting Communication and Social Skills for Adolescents and
Adults with Autism
Communication and Social Skills - the Connection
Topics
• Communication Strategies and Supports
• Social Skills Strategies and Supports
• Bringing It All Together
Communication Strategies and Supports
Determine the Communication Goals!
• Verbal
• Nonverbal
• Receptive
• Conversation
How Do We Teach Communication?
• Identify communication supports (proactive)• Take advantage of naturally occurring
opportunities • Create additional opportunities• Ensure motivation / reinforcement • Teach through routines• Alter the environment
How Do We Teach Communication?
• Teach during naturally occurring opportunities
• Create opportunities to teach communication
• Teach in context to promote meaning and generalization
How Do WeTeach Communication?
• Teach through motivational activities to create desire and interest
How Do We Teach Communication?
• Teach through routines to provide opportunity for repetition
– Build communication into developed routines
– Alter established routine to elicit communication
How Do We Teach Communication?
• Teach through environmental modifications to provide frequent opportunities – Set up obstacles to desired objects or
activities
– Set up problem-solving situations
Communication Supports• Communication boards / book
Communication Supports
• Cue cards
I need help.
No, thank you.
I don’t understand
Communication Supports
• Scripts
• Conversation starters / terminators
I want a cheeseburger,small fries, and a diet Coke
I’m going to Kings Dominion on Saturday
Communication Supports
• Topic boards
Choosing Topics of Conversation
Depends Safe
Topics
Taboo
Topics
1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________
1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________
1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________
Activity: Steven
• Take advantage of naturally occurring opportunities
• Create additional opportunities
• Ensure motivation / reinforcement
• Teach through routines
• Alter the environment
• Use communication supports
Social Skills Strategies and Supports
Social Skills InstructionFive Layer Approach
(Bellini, 2006)
1. Identify and assess areas of need
2. Discern between skill acquisition deficits and performance deficits
3. Select appropriate intervention strategies
4. Implement intervention
5. Evaluate program and modify as needed
Social Skills Supports
Mentoring / Peer support Task analysis Role playing Social narratives
• Social scripting
• Video modeling
Peer SupportStrategy for Social and Communication
Skills
Mentor / Peer Support Qualities
Mentor / Peer Support Role
• Structure the social environment
• Educate others• Provide assistance• Provide reinforcement
Steps to Develop Peer Support
Step 1. Observe and work with individual to determine needs and interests
Step 2. Select peers
Step 3. Educate and train peers
Step 4. Help peers to problem solve
Task Analysis
1. Define the steps needed to demonstrate a social skill
2. Teach the person steps in order
3. Reinforce the person with positive reinforcement for demonstrating steps
Task Analysis for Accepting ‘No’ Response
After you have asked for something:
1. Look at adult
2. Listen to response
3. Take a deep breath
4. Say, “OK”
5. Ask, “Can I have it later?”
6. Listen to response
7. Say, “OK”
Implementing Task Analysis for Accepting ‘No’ Response
1. Support person demonstrates skill
2. Individual and support person role play skill
3. Skill is worked on in natural environment
Making ChoicesUnderstanding Positive and Negative
Outcomes
Making ChoicesUnderstanding Positive and Negative
Outcomes
Role Playing / Rehearsal
• Conduct in a natural environment
• Add difficulty to the role-play as the individual progresses
• Perform a significant number of repetitions of the newly introduced skill
• Treat as you would when teaching any other skill
What Is a Social Narrative?
A written account of a social situation describing:
• What occurs in a given situation
• Relevant social cues
• Why something occurs
• Common responses
Social Narrative ExampleMost people shower every day. (Descriptive)
They like to feel clean and smell good to other people. (Perspective)
If I don’t shower, I smell bad. (Descriptive)
My smell bothers other people. (Perspective)
I will try to take a shower every day. (Perspective)
Taking a shower may help other people want to be around me. (Perspective)
Social Scripting
• Identify rote language and skills for various social situations
• Script those situations
• Practice script
Video Modeling
1. Videotape the person, a mentor, or a respected peer demonstrating a social skill
2. Individual with ASD watches the video and immediately practices the skill
Activity: Steven • Select appropriate social skills
strategies from those that we just discussed
• Identify how some of these could also promote some of his goal communication skills identified earlier
Bringing It All Together
In Closing: TABB (Things, Action, Barriers, Benefits)
•What things did you learn that you will use to support your individual?
•What action will you take? When will you take it?
•What barriers stand in your way? How can you overcome the barriers?
•What are the benefits that will be received because of your action?