SOCIAL THINKING: TEACHING

STRATEGIES & RESOURCES

Middle School Autism Point Person Training

March 20, 2013

Sabrina Beaudry & Pam Leonard

THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE…..

Focused on assessment with emphasis on the core theories of executive functioning, central coherence, & perspective taking

Talked about looking at ASD from the framework of social cognition

Looked at goal writing as a process and one that the overriding need is deficits in the area of social cognition

TODAY WE WILL: Review Homework

Look at 2 models that give us a conceptual framework to help us plan for teaching social thinking AND regulation needs

Look at some instructional planning

guides

Look at some resources for direct teaching of social thinking and regulation

HOMEWORK Either bring a goal that is based on

social cognition that has been presented and accepted at an IEP meeting

OR

Be able to describe how you have used your knowledge of social cognition to help a team prioritize needs or shift their thinking about a student

HOW DID YOUR HOMEWORK GO?

Was it difficult?

What was hard about it?

Do you think you’re ready to help others think this way?

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WRITING GOALS?

We think about interventions/ how to teach to those goals.

We start planning how to schedule teaching.

LET’S GET STARTED:Our Goal As Educators? What do we teach?

We provide readiness skills for successful post secondary education.

We provide readiness skills for successful community participation.

We provide readiness skills for successful relationships.

We provide readiness skills for successful employment.

Contribute to fostering independent, successful, happy adults

FOR TODAY: We will focus on teaching those students

that fit the profile of “high functioning”…They have social needs

They have regulation needs

They have average/ above average intelligence

They have the cognitive ability to be academically on target, but struggle.

WE WILL “LABEL” THESE STUDENTS WITH A:

Social Thinking Deficit or a

Social Cognitive Deficit

SOCIAL THINKING? MGW: Term created by Michelle Garcia Winner

in late 1990’s.To move beyond simply teaching social

skillsTo focus on how social cognition and

emotional processing contribute to a social skills conceptual framework

To provide a language & cognitive based learning approach for those with strengths in language and cognition

Strength based interventionsSocial Communication Learning Challenges,

BUT, solid cognitive & language skills

A PLACE TO BEGIN:

Social Communication Learning Styles

(The Social Thinking-Social Communication Profile. A Practice-Informed Theory, Michelle Garcia Winner,

Pamela Crooke, & Stephanie Madrigal. January 2011)

THE WORK OF MICHELLE GARCIA HAS OUTLINED FOUR PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL

THINKING: Our thoughts and emotions are strongly connected. How

we think affects how we feel and how we behave affects how others think and feel.

We think about people all the time, even when we have no plans to interact with them. We adjust our own behavior based on what we think the people around us are thinking.

We “think with our eyes” to figure out other people’s thoughts, intentions, emotions.

When people learn how to think differently and flexibly they can think anywhere.

Source: Winner, M.G. (2007) Thinking About You, Thinking About Me. Think Social Publications, San Jose, Ca. www.socialthinking.com

THERE ARE 3 ASPECTS TO TEACHING SOCIAL THINKING SKILLS:

Teaching to realize other people have a different frame of mind.

Teaching to learn how to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling.

Teaching to use this knowledge to adjust your own social behaviors to fit the social situation, so that other people view you favorably.

2 MODELS TO FURTHER DEFINE SOCIAL COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND

TO ASSIST IN TEACHING THE CONCEPTS:

1. I LAUGH Model- Michelle Garcia Winner

2. Social Cognitive Model Processes- Social Skills Tools for Teachers, Mary E. Brady, James S. Leffert, Laurie J. Hudson, Gary N. Siperstein- Center for Social Development & Education, University of Massachusetts Boston

Tools for Teachers

MGW: SOCIAL THINKING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:

ILAUGH Model:A way to explain range of social cognitive

processing patterns that are typically weak in people with social communication learning challenges.

Based on theories reported in literature to be critical for those with social issues: Theory of Mind Central Coherence Executive Functioning

ILAUGH MODEL: I= Initiation

L= Listening with your eyes & brain

A= Abstracting and Inferencing

U= Understanding perspective

G= Getting the big picture, Gestalt thinking

H= Humor and Human Relationships

SOCIAL SKILLS TOOLS FOR TEACHERS: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

1. Social Cognitive Model Processes: Theoretical approach Includes 6 underlying social cognitive processes We use these processes to adjust social behavior

successfully

2. Social Thinking Skills: Skills used to perform the processes

3. Background Knowledge & Emotional State: We use background social knowledge to think

about social situations Our emotional state influences how well we think

about social situations

6 COGNITIVE PROCESSES:1. Noticing Social Cues

2. Interpreting Social Cues

3. Social Problem Solving- Setting Goals

4. Social Problem Solving- Generating strategies

5. Social Problem Solving- Choosing Strategies

6. Review Outcome/ Evaluation

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING GUIDE MATRIX FROM MGW CONCEPTUAL THEORY OF ILAUGH

RESOURCES

INIATITON LISTENING WITH EYES AND EARS

ABSTRACT AND

INFERENTIALTHINKING

UNDERSTAND

PERSPECTIVE

GET THE BIGPICTURE(GESTALT

)

HUMOR

Inside Out: What Makes a Person With Social Cognitive Deficits Tick?Michelle Garcia Winner

Introduce Asking for Help/Task Analysis p. 39p.39- “Doing that Talking Thang!” wksht

Watching video clips- describe/discuss facial expressions, behaviors, idiomatic language p.79

Introduce concept of “First Impressions” p. 91

Introduce Identifying problems p.135

Think Social Initiating Topics: Exploring Ways to Start a ConversationActivity p.278

Introduce “thinking with your eyes” Activity p.68

Introduce body language vs. spoken language. Activity p. 153-154

Exploring Thoughts and Feelings of Others: Unshared ExperiencesActivity p. 282

Listening with our whole body p.60

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING GUIDE MATRIX FROM SOCIAL SKILLS TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

RESOURCES

Noticing Social Cues

Interpreting Social Cues

Social Problem Solving

Goals

Social Problem Solving

Strategy Generatio

n

Evaluating and

selecting Strategy

Review Outcom

e

Think Social Figuring out what People MeanActivity p. 153

“Good thoughts vs. weird thoughts” concept.p.94

Problem Solving: Little Problem or Big Problem?Activity p.44

Self-evaluation/Evaluation of peersWatching video activity p.100

Begin self awareness/evaluation of body in/out of groupActivity p. 82

Inside Out Introduce Identifying problems p.135

Worksheets! Introduce: Learning About Out Own Behavior p. 3

RESOURCES FOR TEACHING SOCIAL THINKING & REGULATION CONCEPTS:

ILAUGH Model

Social Behavior Mapping

Sticker Strategies

Socially Curious, Curiously Social

5 Point Scale

Zones of Regulation

SOCIALLY CURIOUS, CURIOUSLY SOCIAL:

Guides high-functioning, but socially struggling adolescents and young adults through the nuances of social behavior... Students read it themselves and discover the key elements of thinking socially -- what fits for them, what doesn't.

SOCIAL FORTUNE OR SOCIAL FATE

For students to read on their own. Through this anime-based graphic teaching book, tweens and teens will be inspired to explore how social decision making and problem solving impact their own ability to feel good about themselves, while also exploring how their behaviors (expected and unexpected) impact others. This product provides direct instruction and guidance to our students and their teachers by explaining visually, with words and with strategy codes how to decipher social situations and related social emotional responses. This book has received very positive reviews from teens and professionals. It's target audience is 5th grade through high school students.

Social Fortune or Social Fate

ILAUGH

Inside Out: What Makes a Person with Social Cognitive Deficits Tick? Introduces the ILAUGH model

EXAMPLES OF ILAUGH ACTIVITIES:

Character Body Language Facial Expressions

Environment What are they doing? What are they thinking?

 Smalls     

Running fastTripping 

Wide eyesMouth open

Loud noises coming from where the ball landed

Running away from the loud noise after getting the ball

Scared

Benny      

         

       

         

     

         

“L”: LISTENING WITH YOUR EYES:RECIPE FOR POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS:•Look at body language•Look at facial expressions•Look at environment- what is going on around you

EXAMPLES OF ILAUGH ACTIVITIES:

I

L A U G H

                               

         

Social Behavior For Interviewing

EXAMPLES OF ILAUGH ACTIVITIES:

Context 1: School Cafeteria/Or Lunch Environment

I L A

               

    

       Context 2: Fast Food Restaurant

I L A

         

             

                 

Starting to put ILAUGH to Work!

ILAUGH“P”=Perspective Taking—Think About What Others will Think of You!FIRST IMPRESSIONS: When we first meet other people, they have their first thoughts about us. We want them to have GOOD first thoughts. We want to give a GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION.   The Way We Look

HygieneHairTeethBody odorBody cleanliness/clean clothes

What you wear  The Way We Act

Body LanguageEye contactBody positionPhysical closeness to other people

Tone of voiceVoice volumeSpeed of talkingHow we handle situations (handling our thoughts/using our zones)

 What We Say

Greetings/IntroductionsUse of sarcasm

Examples of ILAUGH activities:

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR MAPPING:

One of the most successful tools of Social Thinking®, Social Behavior Mapping offers cognitive behavior strategy to teach individuals about the specific relationship between behaviors, others' perspectives, others' actions (consequences) and the student's own emotions about those around him or her. Intended for 3rd-12th grade students, this strategy is most effective for students with solid language skills.

EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR MAPPING:

Working in a Small Group

Expected Behaviors you Produce How They Make Others Feel Consequences You Experience How You Feel About Yourself

Contribute to the group by figuring out the discussion topic.

Go with the flow of the group-some conversation may not relate to the project. About 25% of the time, students enjoy friendly non-work talk.

Monitor your talking so others can contribute equally.

If you don’t like someone’s ideas, keep this in your head. Possibly suggest another idea without making the person feel bad about their idea.

Keep your body in the group.

Eyes tracking conversation, body turned to person talking.

If you are bored, keep it in your head (others might be bored too).

Work politely with other members of the group even if you don’t like them.

Calm Productive Included Confident Connected

Group members work well together.

You and the group make progress on the work.

Group members feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

Group members want to work together again.

You have a final product that reflects all persons’ ideas working together.

Productive Relaxed Prepared Calm Connected

Expected Behavior When Working in a Small Group

Unexpected Behaviors you Produce How They Make Others Feel Consequences You Experience How You Feel About Yourself

Doing nothing. Being the “rule police”

and keeping everyone constantly on task.

Dominating the conversation with your ideas.

Telling others their ideas are bad/stupid and you don’t like them.

Getting up and wandering around the room.

Turning your body away from the group, looking around the room.

Telling the group members you don’t want to work with them.

Announcing you are bored.

Annoyed Frustrated Bored Angry Hurt

Others will think you are bossy, or a know-it-all.

They will not want to work with you next time.

They might tell you your ideas are bad and be rude to you.

They will think you don’t want to work with the group.

The students don’t think you’re cool.

Anxious Frustrated Left out Sad Unsuccessful

Unexpected Behavior When Working in a Small Group

STICKER STRATEGIES: Sticker Strategies reinforces social and

behavioral problem solving and self-reliance in students - all in format that the student carries throughout the day, enabling him or her to choose strategies and powerful reminders for specific situations. The result is fewer breakdowns and classroom disruptions.

EXAMPLES OF STICKER STRATEGIES:

Homework

Homework 2

Homework 3

5 POINT SCALE: 5 Point Scale website

Anxiety Curve

EXAMPLE OF 5 POINT SCALES:

..\..\..\Zones & 5 point scales\petals_scale.pdf

ZONES OF REGULATION: The Zones is a systematic, cognitive behavior approach used to

teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete zones. The Zones curriculum provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of, and independent in, controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts.

By addressing underlying deficits in emotional and sensory regulation, executive functions, and social cognition, the curriculum is designed to help move students towards independent regulation. The Zones of Regulation incorporates Social Thinking® (www.socialthinking.com) concepts and numerous visuals to help students identify their feelings/level of alertness, understand how their behavior impacts those around them, and learn what tools they can use to regulate to a more expected state.

Zones website (http://www.zonesofregulation.com/blog.html)

EXAMPLE OF ZONES OF REGULATION:

Zones Chart & Data sheet

SO… DO WE NEED TO START PRIORITIZING FOR THIS PROFILE OF STUDENT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY?:

Academics or direct instruction in social thinking?

Academics or direct instruction in regulation skills?

Full academic load or smaller with emphasis on independence?

Full academic load or smaller with emphasis on organization?

QUESTION?

Are we instructing to areas of greatest need?