C H R I S A B I L D G A A R D

B E N H A V E N L E A R N I N G N E T W O R K

F U L L S P E C T R U M T H E R A P E U T I C S , L L C

R U B Y H S U

S T E P H A N I E C A P A S S O

W A L L I N G F O R D P U B L I C S C H O O L S

The Structure of Social Instruction - Embedding Social Thinking in the

Classroom Setting

Social through the day

Social concepts reach beyond two people sharing space.

Core social competencies are used:

1. - in the sand box

2. - in the lunch room

3. - on a date

4. - when writing an essay

5. - when understanding a math word problem.

Finish this story……

On Saturday morning you have plans to meet your friend down the street. You walk to the house, knock on the door, and a stranger opens. You ask for your friend. "Who?" the stranger replies...

1 student’s answer

Well, I would never do this because on Sat morning my dad and I ………and then later in the afternoon we…..so this question is stupid because it makes no sense to me…..and why was the stranger there anyway, it wasn’t his house, or maybe it was and this other kid just never met him, like an older brother or something, cause then he would be a stranger….

Another student’s answer

We saw a little ―Glassman‖, he was in the ―RED‖ Zone with another student’s response….. Task analyze all of the

―social‖ that goes into a writing piece like this

Emotional aspects

Behavioral reactions

The continuous cycle of social

Perspective taking

Gestalt Processing

Body awareness and self

regulation Pragmatics

Self reflection

Social processing is continuous

If we look close enough, we can see these deficits and the form they take when we watch our kids on the playground, in the cafeteria, when seated at a restaurant, or when they are asked to follow classroom routines.

Acknowledging the ―social‖ in academic

Today’s interventions need to move outside one thirty minute or one hour session per week and be integrated into the environments kids are in most of the time – the classroom.

Social and the understanding of social skills have for many years been thought to be greetings, sharing, talking about problems, etc.

Our guys know the social rules and many have the ―skills‖ that people have taught them in the past.

What they aren’t masters of yet is how to integrate those skills into the ―thinking‖ piece of relationship development and social communication.

Nothing new we are talking about…..

In 1997, Korinek & Popp wrote about the importance of incorporating social skills instruction in the academic curriculum for all kids. Their hypothesis was that when you integrate social teaching with academics in a meaningful way, it can potentially help those students who are at risk for school failure (Korinek & Popp, 1997).

More recently, papers by Miller, Fenty, Scott & Park (2010) and Womack, Marchant, & Borders (2010) talk about literature based social ―skill‖ instruction within the regular education setting.

Empirical Evidence

Whole group read aloud one time a week with 5-minute small group review daily.

Benefits 1). Time efficiency (embedding social instruction during the naturally occurring time of

“read aloud”

2). Brought real life context to the students,

3). Allowed their students to be engaged and interested in learning about social through books

4). Allowed for a certain level of peer mediation when confronted with real life social dilemmas

5). Observational data suggested an increase in peer’s self confidence in knowing how to deal with a social roadblock. (Womack, et. al., 2010).

Quote from public school standards

gather historical data from multiple sources;

engage in reading challenging primary and secondary historical source materials, some of which is contradictory and requires questioning of validity;

describe sources of historical information;

identify the main idea in a source of historical information;

identify ways different cultures record their histories, compare past and present situations and events, and present findings in appropriate oral, written, and visual ways;

create timeline which sequences events and people, using days, weeks, months, years, decades, and centuries; and

write short narratives and statements of historical ideas and create other appropriate

presentations from investigations of source materials. Expectations for grades K-4

Academic Expectations

Within the K-4th grades our students will be expected to ―analyze multiple perspectives‖!

We kept finding words like ―interpret‖, ―analyze‖, ―reconcile‖, ―evaluate‖, ―describe‖, and ―develop‖.

These are all wonderful long term goals for our students, and are needed if we expect them to have the skills to adapt to their social world.

QUESTION: How are we connecting these academic expectations with social teaching?

Developing your social detective skills in a 1st grade class

4-5th graders using Superflex through their day

This can be done!!

Thinking outside the box

Parents bring good ideas and suggestions

Flexible teachers will take suggestions and run with them

Consultant said, ―what do you think?‖ to the teacher and she said, ―ok‖.

Experience in a 1st grade class

Social Detective in a classroom

Read Social Detective to the class

20 minutes

Whole group lesson

―co-taught‖ with teacher

Focused on our ―social tool box‖ and key vocabulary

Used Smart Board to capture interest

Integrated 5-point scale

Teacher started to use core vocabulary through the day

Students picked up and spontaneously used vocabulary

Role Playing

Advantages:

Doesn’t make one student stand out

Created a universal level of social expectation and vocabulary

Self confidence through natural reinforcement (teacher and student)

Attempted to help their social tool box grow

Perspective Taking

Thoughts from the teacher

―If certain language works for one child, it can also work for others‖

―I think it's something that can be taught or introduced to all first graders, who are really just learning how to interact appropriately with

others‖.

―I was amazed at how quickly the children picked up on the language in the social detective book. The entire class began using the language

in the book to describe situations in the classroom‖.

―I also think it was great for that one student who already worked on this book with you because it empowered him, allowed him to be a leader in the class since he was already familiar with the story and

language in the story‖.

-(D.R 1st Grade Teacher)

Superflex in the Classroom

Why Superflex?

Michelle in Hartford, CT

Beneficial to all students to deal with social dilemmas

Uniform language and concepts for whole class

Starting the Program

Support from parents and principal

School-wide behavior system including use of ―I‖ Statements in place

Extension of ―I‖ Statement program

Superintendent observed Superflex lesson and read book

Collaborative staff effort

Uniform language throughout the school

Planning and Implementing

Speech Pathologist and Classroom teacher met between 30-45 minutes each week to plan lessons

SLP and classroom teacher co-taught one 45 minute block. Lesson extended across other contents when possible

Speech Pathologist also targeted specific goals for special needs students in small groups once a week. The classroom lesson was included in the students’ IEP service time

Benefits Integration Across Contents

Increases awareness of social thinking

Provides students with language for problem solving and socialization

Provides opportunity for self reflection of behaviors

Allows students to take ownership of actions

Connections of character traits in reading

Writing with voice Utilization of written

responses, creating parent survey

Perspective taking in social studies (current events)

Data collection and analysis in math and science

Superflex

Examples of Lessons

Informed parents with curriculum letter and vocabulary

Read Superflex book to students Discussed concepts in book Vocabulary instruction: flexible brains, Superflex gym,

finding Rockbrain in picture books, social town scenes Created ―My Unthinkable Team‖ Wanted Posters of Unthinkables Role playing Superflex Ambassadors

Making Connections in Reading

Reading and Writing

During reading lesson, student spontaneously connected a character’s traits in her novel to Mean Jean.

Created character traits bulletin board and written responses to reading based on character traits in independent novels.

Observations of School Setting

Reflecting

Role Playing

Real life situations

Demonstrated strategies to defeat Unthinkables

Creating own dialogue and role play

Use of flexible brain and capes for props

Students resolved problems independently in hallway

Able to reflect on the strategies used

Perspective Taking

Students discuss current events and historical events

Able to take perspective of characters in reading

Writing with Voice

School-wide weakness in writing prompts for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade

Students observed different authors writing with voice

Students implemented some elements of voice into their Unthinkable posters comic strips

Speak directly to the reader

Use emotion and feeling,

include heart message

Bold words,

italics, font size,

―meaningful

dialogue‖

Keeps audience in

mind throughout

writing

Comic Strips

Individualizing Instruction

Creating Unthinkables (NPN)

Self awareness for students with special needs

Behavior plan and self assessing and monitoring

Ownership of behavior

Checklist (Superflex vs. Unthinkables)

Small group discussions

Cue Cards

Student Created Lessons

Students reflected on what they learned based how they reacted during certain situations

What is it like to be a second grader?

Used age appropriate vocabulary

Created a reachable objective

Interviewed classroom teacher

Natural reinforcer of program to take on Superflex-like behaviors

Superflex Ambassadors

Created lessons for younger grades

Decide on purpose (objective)

Summarized the main points of lesson

Used age appropriate vocabulary

Student Created Survey

Students brainstormed questions to ask parents

Served as a group project

Students discussed survey with parents

Parents completed survey about noticing changes in their child’s behavior.

Conclusion

The cycle of social runs throughout our life (not just in a lunch group or office setting)

Social concepts can be seen in academics through grade levels

Integrating a social approach to education can help all students

Continuing to integrate social thinking with behavioral perspectives can improve maintenance and generalization of social concepts.

Thank you

A special thank you to all the kids and families who support our work at Full Spectrum Therapeutics and those who spent the last two years with Ms. Hsu.

Any questions or thoughts, please email Chris at: chrisabildgaard@fullspectrumtherapeutics.com

Visit us on the web at www.fullspectrumtherapeutics.com

References

Carnahan, C., & Williamson, P. (2010). Quality Literacy Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. AAPC Textbooks. Kansas.

Estes, A., Rivera, V., Bryan, M., Cali, P., & Dawson, G. (2010). Discrepancies Between Academic Achievement and Intellectual Ability in Higher-Functioning School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 10.

Fenty, N., Miller, M., & Lampi, A. (2008). Embed Social Skills Instruction in Inclusive Settings. Intervention in School and Clinic. 43, 186-192.

Korinek, L., & Popp. P.A. (1997). Collaborative mainstream integration of social skills with academic instruction. Prevention School Failure, 41, 148-153

Madrigal, S. & Winner, M. (2008). Superflex….A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum. Think Social Publishing, Inc. San Jose: CA.

Miller, M., Fenty, N., Scott, T., & Park, K. (2010). An Examination of Social Skills Instruction in the Context of Small Group Reading. Remedial and Special Education. 1-11.

Semin, G. R. (2000). Agenda 2000—Communication: language as an implementation device for cognition. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30, 595-612.

Tager-Flusberg, H. (2007). Evaluating the Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism. Current Directions in Psychology Science. 16: 311-315.

Welsh, M., Parke, R.D., Widaman, K., & O’Neil, R. (2001). Linkages between children’s social and academic competence: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of School Psychology. 30, 463-481.

Womack, S., Marchant, M., & Borders, D. (2010). Literature-Based Social Skills Instruction: A strategy for Students with Learning Disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic. 1-8.

Winner, M., & Abildgaard, C. (2010). The Next Generation of Treatment: Defining a Hybrid of Social Interventions for Students with Strong Intelligence and Language Skills. Autism Asperger’s Digest. September-October, 28-30,68.

Winner, M. (2008). A politically incorrect look at evidence based practices and teaching social skills: A literature review and discussion. Think Social Publishing, Inc. San Jose: CA.

Winner, M. (2000). Inside Out. What makes a person with social cognitive deficits tick.