Autism: Attacking Social Interaction Problems the Basics and Beyond

1. Autism: Attacking Social Interaction Problems the Basics and Beyond Betholyn Gentry, Ph.D. Pamela Wiley-Wells, Ph.D.

2. From Assessment to Intervention • Standardized Measures Include: • Tests • Surveys/Questionnaires • Observations Forms • Non-standardized Measures Include: • Checklists • Parent Intakes • Clinician Developed Checklists, Parent/Teacher Surveys, Questionnaires

3. Intervention • Intervention – What does the literature say? • Peer Mediation • Adult Mediation • Structured Social Environments • Highly-structured, specialized education programs • One-on-one or small group support • Fully inclusive general education environment with supports • Social skills groups

4. Elements of Social Skills • Social Intake • Internal Process • Social Output

5. Effective Communication Requires • Eye contact • Awareness of conversational turn taking • Perspective taking/ Theory of Mind • Proxemics/ Space and Personal boundaries • Topic Maintenance • Nonverbal Communication • Engaging style and manner of presentation • Understanding Humor and Sarcasm

6. Bottom line Social skills are the foundation for getting along with others

7. You must be motivated to fit in!

8. misconceptions • Social skills programs can be cut because they are a social recreational program • Social skills programs are nonessential courses of treatment • Nontherapeutic • If parents took responsibility and set up play dates everything would be ok Wrong!

9. Lack of Social Skills can lead to • Socially inappropriate choices • Poor or low self esteem • Depression • Academic Failure • Inability to navigate complex social interaction

10. Who can benefit from social skills training? • Asperger’s and HFA • ADD/ADHD • Learning Disabled • Hearing Impaired • Language Disordered • Mild to moderate MR • Social Loner

11. How can you get a group started? • Survey parents and teachers • Assess students • Group by age and social skill needs and expectations • Target areas that will give the most immediate improvement in communication skills and academic success

14. Program Design • 8 modules, 4-6 weeks in length • Buddies, typical peers • Classroom teacher involvement • Parent feedback with home carryover activities • FUN!

15. Methodology • Puppetry • Visualization • Visual Schedule • Token economy system, secondary reinforcement (high five) • Relaxation • Role playing • Social Skills Stories • Videotaped guided practice

16. Creating The Social Environment • Set up to stimulate social interaction • Develop rules which promote appropriate social interaction • Avoid a “therapy” feel • Use lots of visuals • Use age appropriate teaching materials and items of interest

17. Weekly Rituals • Relaxation • Opening Circle/Social Talk • Closing Circle/Review/ Wrap up

18. Daily Schedule(4-9 years) • Free play/ Social talk • Snack • Opening Activity • Group activities • Parent debriefing/Notations

19. Program Goals/Objectives • To foster and enhance interpersonal skills • To encourage each participant to become “Social Thinkers” (Winner, 2002) • To facilitate generalization of skills learned within the context of home, school and community • 90% is the mastery level in the clinical setting • Overall mastery is determined based on the child’s competency in at least 3 settings with 3 different people (Bellini, 2007)

20. Social Learning Milestones

21. Kindergarten Top Concerns • Taking turns • Playing cooperatively with other children • Sharing • Listening to an adult other than their parent or caregiver Children will learn to: • Invite other children to play with him • Take turns and share • Invent games with simple rules • Take risks • Recognize that other children have feelings too • Understand the basic concepts of right and wrong • Play without supervision • Understand and respect rules • Develop self-esteem • Use self-control

22. Fourth Grade "Fourth Grade is like merging into a social fast lane“ • Gossiping • Teasing • Unblinking peer scrutiny • Labels leading to pigeonholing; "athletic", "loser", "popular" • Social hierarchies form leading to the negotiation of a complicated structure of values, prejudices, and social pitfalls. • Delineation of the levels of friendship  Children are often the victims of: • Teasing • Bullying • Being left out

23. AASIP Detailed Modules • Modules • ABCs of Life – Skills Needed for School Success • Taking the First Steps – Initiating Friendships • Grossology – Personal Hygiene • Let the Games Begin – Being a Good Sport • It’s Raining Cats and Dogs - Figurative Language • How Are You Today? – Dealing with Emotions • Stranger Danger – Being Safe • Blending In – Everyday Situations

24. School

25. Units the abc’s of life: skills needed for school success Active Listening Following Directions Asking for Help

26. Active Listening A Guiding Light Social skills is not school after school or a “class” within the school day. It is social. Keep it fun! Objectives: • Students will identify the parts of the body required for active listening. • Students will verbalize appropriate responses to indicate listening. • Students will demonstrate appropriate body language for listening.

27. Active ListeningLesson 1 Materials: • Puppets • Everly, N. (2005). Can you listen with your eyes? East Moline. LinguiSystems, Inc. • Paper plates • Cut outs for eyes, mouth, nose, ears

29. Arts N’ Craft Activity

30. Skill steps

31. Listen and learn

32. Following Directionslesson 1 Objectives: • Students will learn to attend to the complete directions before beginning a task. • Students will learn to quietly repeat the directions before beginning a task. • Students will ask questions to gain clarity. • Students will be able to follow two to three stage commands.

34. Asking for Help 7-9 year olds Objectives: • The students will learn how to ask for help. • The students will learn to attempt a task before asking for help. • The students will learn the importance of helping others.

35. Asking for help Activity 2 Activity 2 Divide the students into groups of 3-4. Brainstorm with the students all of the things that they are unable to do independently at home, school, and in the community. Write the list on large sheets of paper to be used in activity 3.

36. Asking for Help Activity 3 Activity 3 Using the challenges listed in Activity 2, select students to role play the situations. Example: Mary was very thirsty. She wanted to drink her bottled water but couldn’t open it.

38. Units Grossology: personal hygiene First Impressions No More Gross The Unfriendly Germ

39. First Impressions (7-9)Lesson 1 Objectives: • Students will learn the importance of good hygiene. • Students will learn about germs. • Students will learn how their behaviors affect others. • Students will understand the meaning of the word gross. A Guiding Light Reinforce social skills at all times; please, thank you, excuse me, tissues for runny noses, hand washing.

41. No More Gross (7-9) The students will select a situation to read aloud and identify a solution. Your friend has eaten some food and his stomach really aches. All of a sudden he passes gas and belches at the same time. What can “he” do?

42. Units Stranger danger: being safe Who’s a Stranger? Touching: Appropriate vs. Inappropriate

44. Who’s a stranger? (7-9)Lesson 1 Objectives: • Students will be able to identify strangers in all environments. • Students will learn to distinguish between safe and unsafe environments. A Guiding Light Strangers are like apples. Some are good. Some are bad.

46. Units It’s raining cats and dogs: figurative language Understanding Idioms and Common Expressions Using Idiomatic Expressions

47. it’s raining cats and dogs:Figurative Language A Guiding Light Use lots of visuals! Objectives: • Students will be able to identify and understand common idioms. • Students will be able to identify the absurdities in idiomatic expressions. • Students will ask for help to gain an understanding of common idiomatic expressions.