Social Thinking at Home  

9/29/12 Presenter: Meg Presley, MS, CCC‐SLP 

How have we defined Social Skills? 

•  Eye Contact •  Turn Taking •  Maintaining a Topic of ConversaGon •  Personal Space •  Reading Other’s Body Language 

We are making a shift to !Social Thinking!

Social Thinking is a theory or philosophy developed by Michelle Garcia Winner. 

hPp://www.socialthinking.com/what‐is‐social‐thinking/about‐michelle‐garcia‐winner 

Social Thinking is “what we do when we interact with people: we think about them.  How we think about people affects how we behave, 

which in turn affects how others respond to us, which in turn affects our emoGons.” 

Major Themes:!

•  People pay aPenGon to make others feel good and that makes people want to be with you. 

•  You have to think about what others are thinking. 

•  Students learn to observe other people’s behavior and form judgments (thoughts about them) 

•  Social thinking is done in all environments. 

Key Points to Social Thinking: 

•  We think with our eyes to figure out other people’s thoughts, intenGons, emoGons, and plans – “reading the room” 

•  Our thoughts and emoGons are strongly connected •  Realizing that everyone has thoughts about other people, even when we are not interacGng with them 

•  We want people to have good thoughts about us so we adjust our behavior to achieve that goal 

Our Goal: 

We want to share the “Social Secrets” with our students. 

Typically developing students naturally pick up the social cues and social rules for appropriate behavior in all different situaGons. 

Students with social cogniGon difficulGes need direct teaching of these skills and explicit teaching of these rules. 

 

Goal for us today: 

Today we want to focus on how you, as parents, can support your children in the area of social 

thinking in your everyday lives.   

Our Focus: 

There are many tools and strategies that we use to improve social cogniGon. 

 Today, we will focus on the use of one tool, 

behavior maps,  and how to incorporate these into your lives. 

 What are Behavior Maps? 

•  A visual tool that shows the student the consequences of their social behaviors (both posiGve and negaGve).  

•  It makes abstract concepts more concrete using a flow chart, or graphic organizer 

•  Behavior maps show what the expected and unexpected behaviors are in different situaGons. 

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Handout 7Social Behavior Map Template-l : Behaviors that are EXPECTED

ContextBehaviors, feelings, and consequences are listed in categories in arbitrary order. There is not a one-to-one c6rreh-tion between the information listed in each column. For example, whatever behavior is listed first does not have tomatch the first emotional reaction or the first consequence, and so on.

Expected Behaviors How They MakeOthers Feel

ConsequencesYou Experience

How You FeelAbout Yourself

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Handout 7Social Behavior Map Template-2: Behaviors that are UNEXPECTED

Contextfiihaviors, feelings, and consequences are listed in categories in arbitrary order. There is not a one-to-one correla-ilon netween the information listed in each eolumn. For example, whatever behavior is listed first does not have tomatch the first emotional reaction or the first consequence, and so on.

Unexpected Behaviors How They MakeOthers Feel

ConsequencesYou Experience

How You FeelAbout Yourself

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-Figure 7S-1Social Behavior Mapping

Behaviors That Are EXpECTED: Being with Mom All summerBehaviors,feeIings,andconsequencesarelistedincategoriesinarbitraryorder.Therei'@1"j.?1t1"":ili::llj:?*:-1"1,:1i::ll:"lyln. For;xampre, whatever behavior is risted first does noilravetomatch the first emotional reaction or the first consequence, and io on.

ConsequencesYou Experience

. Nice:- Use friendly words.- Show interest in her.- Say "please'and

"thank you."- Give her a compliment.

. Smile at her.

. Look at her whentalking to her.

. Have your body bealerU do not slumpover at the table whenyou are with her.

. Follow directions.

. Anticipate what shewants you to dobefore she asks yout

. She compliments you.

. She does somethingnice for you.

. She returns nice words,a nice tone of voice, asmile, back to youl

Figure 15 - zSocial Behavior Mapping

Behaviors That Are UNEXPECTED: Being with Mom All Summerfeelinp, and consequences are listed in categories in arbitrary order. There is not a one-to-one correla-

between the information listed in each column. For example, whatever behavior is listed first does not have tothe first emotional reaction or the first consequence, and so on.

. She leaves the house.

. Worried you won'tever get along withothers

:tUnfriendly words.

iOon't show interest

0oesn't say "please'

Of 'thank you.'

flude remarks.

facial expression

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Hot looking at her.

F,SoUy always slump-

l'{nt following

$,Foesn't anticipatet lrvhat she wants mei:,lc do.

Social Behavior Map SampleContext: Behaviors that Are Expected UUhile in Speech Therapy

feelings, and consequences are listed in categories in arbitrary order. There is not a one-to-one correla-Setween the information listed in each column. For example, whatever behavior is listed first does not have to

lhe first emotional reaction or the first consequence, and so on.

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at things we areng on together.

. Cet a star:4 stars equal a treat

. Michelle pats youon the backl

. Michelle has a"happy voice.'

Mlchelle saystood jobfl

your body bedo not slump

&er at the table when.y.S{ are with her.

follow directions.

Antlcipate what she,. wants you to do

i-r'before she asks youl

Possible SituaGons: •  Play Dates •  Library •  Grocery store •  Movies •  Aquarium •  Playground •  Birthday parGes •  Holidays •  School AcGviGes 

Some addiGonal reminders as you prepare for an acGvity: 

•  Pre‐teach vocabulary related to the acGvity •  Generate and review behavior maps •  Pre‐teach comments/quesGons that might be used in the situaGon 

•  Support your child during the acGvity as needed 

•  Debrief ader the acGvity – what went well and what could you do bePer 

In closing… 

This is a long process that will conGnue throughout your child’s life.   

It’s a hard journey but celebrate the small successes along the way!! 

Your children deserve it!    

      

Thank you for coming! 

•  www.socialthinking.com