Disclosures Financial: I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts, Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories®

Using Personal Narratives to Enhance Conversational Skills
and Written Expression ISHA CONVENTION 2014 Presented by Gwynne McElhinney, M.S., CCC-SLP Creator of Six-Second-Stories® Gwynne McElhinney’s Lab for Social Intelligence at Lee Pesky Learning Center in Boise, Idaho

Disclosures Financial: I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts, Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories® and Other Social Communication Strategies an instructional manual written to help adults foster social communication skill development in children and youth, published in In 2012, I received honoraria from MWC for teaching at two regional conferences on the East Coast. Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationships exist. Employment: Solo, part-time, private practice focused on teaching students with language impairment/social learning challenges how to C.A.R.E.---Communicate and Relate Effectively---using a co-teaching approach in the classroom, and partnering with parents in my Lab.

to share it with others.”
The reason I’m here today can be explained by this Chinese Proverb: “When someone shares something of value with you, and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.” My 39-year professional journey presented as a brief personal narrative: Year “She-hero” Methodology 1977 Elinor Kriegsman (UW-EEU) Educational Teaming Ellen Pritchard Dodge CommunicationLab Maryellen Rooney Moreau SGM® 2004 Michelle Garcia Winner Social Thinking® Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

MISSION STATEMENT for the SAN JOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Our High School Graduates will be: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS INFORMED THINKERS SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS COLLABORATIVE WORKERS INFORMATION PROCESSORS RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY M. Winner, 12/ Seattle, WA Workshop

Overview of the Challenge
To succeed academically & socially, students must learn how to: Listen & understand others’ thoughts and feelings (oral comprehension) Speak & be understood, when sharing their own thoughts and feelings (verbal expression) Read & understand others’ thoughts and feelings (reading comprehension) Write & be understood, when sharing their own thoughts and feelings (written expression) and always, Think Socially (relate effectively in the classroom & on the playground) The ability to communicate is the most difficult and remarkable feat of humankind. The ease with which most of us learn & use language blinds us to how complex the acquisition process really is, for those who struggle with what, to us, “just comes naturally…”

Combining Priorities “ It’s good to work on language structure.
According to Dr. Bonnie Brinton (in a workshop at USU in 2012): “ It’s good to work on language structure. “ It’s better to work on academics. It’s best to work on social interaction. With teamwork, we can do all three at once!” Social Competence refers to the skills & strategies that allow individuals to: have meaningful friendships, forge close, emotion-based relationships; productively collaborate with groups, teams, and work partners; manage public social settings and participate in family functioning Gutstein & Whitney (AS and the Development of Social Competence, Focus on Autism & Other DD, Vol. 17, #3, Fall 2002) According to the Mother of a Son with LI (in an article published by Brinton in 2009): “The Social Stuff is EVERYTHING!”

Social Thinking® Michelle Garcia Winner, SLP The I-LAUGH Model
Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum Package and Superflex® Takes on Glassman and the Team of Unthinkables by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia Winner, Illustrated by Kelly Knopp You are a Social Detective! by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke, Illustrated by Kelly Knopp Thinking About You, Thinking About Me by Michelle Garcia Winner Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

The Benefits of Narrative Instruction #1
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT: 90% of elementary curriculum is in narrative/story form The ability to independently tell and write stories is essential to social and academic success Competency on state testing depends on an awareness, and demonstration of, basic story structure for reading comprehension and writing Critical thinking and inferential skills draw on the concrete awareness of story elements and the relationships they have to each other Teacher’s Guide to the SGM Activity Booklet, now known as Talk to Write, Write to Learn by Moreau & Welch (1999)

The Benefits of Narrative Instruction #2
The ability to identify and develop plans and goals is crucial to academic and social success because these skills enable students to connect the “character’s” relationship to the beginning, middle and end of a story or to their own personal, life experiences (self-talk/self-regulation) Advancing curriculum and social competency require students to develop perspective-taking, the ability to “see” and “feel” situations through the eyes of another/from his or her point of view Perspective-taking underlies the ability to empathize, an absolutely vital skill Empathy is the basis for social & literate inferencing; both skill sets have broad implications for our society (effective problem-solving) Teacher’s Guide to the SGM Activity Booklet, now known as Talk to Write, Write to Learn by Moreau & Welch (1999)

“We dream, remember, anticipate, hope, despair, love, hate, believe, doubt, plan, construct, gossip and learn in narrative.” Westby, C. (1985, 1991) Learning to talk, talking to learn: oral-literate language differences. In C. Simon (Ed.), Communication Skills and Classroom Success Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications, Inc. Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

NARRATIVE language is both emotional and literate
NARRATIVE language is both emotional and literate. Narratives are the way to connect language, cognitive and social interactive components for children diagnosed with Language-based Learning Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, AS/HFA & social learning challenges. Narrative Language includes: Everything is held together That is all that is Interpretation of pictures and pictured scenes in stories. Critical Thinking Triangle® Activities Thought bubbles Conversation bubbles Social Stories™ (Gray) Cartoons Social Thinking® Oral story telling Written story telling Personal narratives Poetry, drawing, pantomime, music Feelings (internal response) vocabulary Pragmatics: Tone of Voice, Volume, Facial Expressions and Body language Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

“We think in terms of stories
“We think in terms of stories. Not only do we understand the world in terms of stories we’ve heard, our interpretation of personal problems and relationships is influenced by stories of others who have experienced similar situations. In fact, we understand-and explain-just about everything in life through stories.” cha, R. (1990). Tell me a story: A new look at real and artificial memory. NY: Macmillan. Schank, R. (1990) Tell me a story: A new look at real and artificial memory. NY: Macmillan. Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

Four Current Areas of Application for Narrative Development:
Response to Intervention (RtI) Autism Spectrum Disorders and Related Social Learning Challenges Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy Emotions, Mental States and Plans to Facilitate Comprehension, Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution The “Core” of the Core: Using Story Grammar Marker and Other MindWing Concepts Tools to Support Students in Meeting Grade-Level Common Core State Standards (Moreau, 2012) Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

Response-to-Intervention
Oral narratives are a natural bridge between oral and literate language. Narrative skills and the language skills needed to produce quality narratives are interspersed throughout the Common Core Standards. One effective RTI approach for SLPs is to provide intervention focusing on narratives. The SLP provides Tier 1 supports in the classroom through modeled lessons with the whole class. In Tier 2/3, the SLP provides small group intensive intervention that simultaneously targets the story grammar and deficient language skills. Using oral narratives in an intervention model builds a foundation for the development of listening, speaking reading and writing. How to Fit Response to Intervention into a Heavy Workload, The ASHA LEADER, August 30, 2011 Vol. 16, No. 10. Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

Standards Project: www. nationalautismcenter
Standards Project: “Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools” Story-based Intervention was cited as one of eleven established treatments for Autism: the only non-behavioral intervention cited. Furthermore, the National Standards Report stated that stated that story-based intervention influenced their targeted skills of: Self-Regulation: Tasks that involve the management of one’s own behaviors in order to meet a goal Interpersonal Skills: Tasks that require social interaction with one or more individuals. Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
CCSS English Language Arts Per Reading, Key Idea and Detail #3: Narrative development is essential. Kindergarten RL.K.3. With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. Grade 1 RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. Grade 2 RL.2.3. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. Grade 3 RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story (traits, motivations, feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events Grade 4 RL.4.3. Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (character’s thoughts, words, actions) Grade 5 RL.5.3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (how characters interact) Grade 6 RL.6.3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

ASHA Principles: Integrating the CCSS
All educators, including SLPs, must focus on preparing students to achieve their highest potential for independence and postsecondary education and/or employment… in part, by placing a strong emphasis through instruction, on higher order thinking, problem solving and collaboration with peers. In order for students to meet CCSS, language development and literacy need to be twinned. The CCSS provides a roadmap, allowing IEP goals to be linked directly to the CCSS, particularly in the areas of language arts and literacy… Instructional goals & strategies need to be adjusted based on the academic, social, behavioral, & communication skills exhibited by each student… Students are required throughout ALL standards (using academic language) to tell, retell, and write stories, to interpret, argue, analyze, organize, conclude and persuade through conversation, discussion, writing and debate. ---Core Commitment by Ehren, Blosser, Roth, Paul & Nelson, The ASHA Leader, April 3, 2012. Copyright © 2009, MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

CCSS Call? Students Must Develop “Communicative Competence”
Teachers and SLPs have distinct, but complementary roles, working collaboratively to provide multiple types and levels of support. The SLP’s focus should be to support the success of students and to prepare them to access the curriculum, communicate to learn, and achieve academic goals… In other words, Focus on the Discourse Level of Language: teach students to put together words, phrases, and sentences to create conversations, speeches, messages, articles and books, so that they can experience both academic & social success throughout their education & careers.

Maryellen Rooney Moreau, SLP
Story Grammar Marker® Maryellen Rooney Moreau, SLP A research-based methodology with hands-on tools to boost literacy/EQ: The SGM® and related tools provide complete lesson plans which use well-known children’s literature for instruction A tactile, kinesthetic tool is paired with printed “maps” Icons on both types of graphic organizers help children to visualize the elements of stories by reminding them of the parts & sequence Reduces the load on working memory so students can concentrate on translating their ideas into words to convey the content of each element of the story they tell or write Can be adapted to suit special needs students; those w/AS show superior abilities searching for detail/analyzing & manipulating systems, so this methodology is a good match Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

The Critical Thinking Triangle® help students improve…
Knowing the relationship among the kick-off, feelings, mental states and plans of a character in a story or a person in a social situation is essential for academic and social success. The Critical Thinking Triangle® help students improve… Comprehension and expression of feelings, plans and thoughts of characters, themselves and others Perspective-Taking/Theory of Mind for ASD and Deaf & Hard of Hearing Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution Comprehension and expression expository text structures of cause and effect, problem/solution and persuasion Social Communication/the ability to plan for conversation and social interaction Cognitive-academic language proficiency for English Language Learners Sentence structure for temporal and causal relationships using conjunctions Recognition of the “main idea” & plot development Episodic thinking Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • •

Me and Mommy The Mall Knows the teacher will be accepting of her
Thinks that the teacher will like the story Believes that the teacher would be excited too Child sees the teacher Wants to tell the teacher and so the child says: “Me and Mommy went to the mall.” This statement is very vague and could cause a conversational breakdown between the girl and the teacher. Using the Six-Second-Stories® technique, an effective start to the conversation would be: Excited/compelled to tell the teacher about her weekend trip to the mall. Who Is Doing What Where When My Mom and I ate a giant sundae at the mall on Saturday. My mom lost her purse at the mall on Saturday.

Making the Connections for Students
If You Can Have a Conversation, You Can Have a Relationship… (“Description of a Program for Social Language Intervention,” by Brinton, Robinson & Fujiki in LSHSS, Vol. 35) “Conversations are efforts toward good relations. They are an elementary form of reciprocity. They are the exercise of our love for each other. They are the enemies of our loneliness, our doubt, our anxiety, our tendencies to abdicate. To continue to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is to be calling out to each other in the night. If we attend with imagination and devotion to our conversations, we will find what we need; and someone among us will act---it does not matter whom---and we will survive.”TBBarry Lopez to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is—and we will suAnAnd, If You Can Have a Relationship, You Can Have a Life! Research shows that just one real friend can “inoculate” an individual from the severe depression that leads to suicide.vive. continue to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is to be Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Ellen Pritchard Dodge, SLP
THE COMMUNICATIONLAB Ellen Pritchard Dodge, SLP 10 week interactive classroom-based SLP program for grades K-8 to teach “What Good Communicators Do” with EQ emphasis 30 minute/once weekly sessions combine brainstorming, problem- solving & role-playing, with teacher & SLP co-teaching the group Lessons focus on the core communication skills needed by all students to achieve both academic & social success Teachers are given written generalization strategies on a weekly basis Parents are sent informational letters, paired with a sheet of suggested carryover activities for targeted behaviors, on a weekly basis This flexible model can also be taught 1:1, or on a small group basis; special needs students benefit from pre-teaching & follow-up Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO ?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by LISTENING in order to understand others’ ideas & feelings; and SPEAKING so that others can understand their own ideas & feelings They Make Eye Contact & Think with Their Eyes about their partner They Observe before Communicating to improve the timing of interaction They use positive Body Language & “read” their partner’s non-verbal cues They use Whole Body Listening to “synch” with their partner’s emotions They Kick-Off conversations by making statements that contain key facts, providing just the right amount of relevant information They ask appropriate questions of their partner in order to clarify confusing statements made by him/her

They answer questions posed by their partner in order to clarify content
They Take Turns, alternating speaking & listening roles & balance air time They Stay on the Topic and signal Topic Changes appropriately They Act Interested by smiling, leaning forward & head nodding They Speak Clearly so their words can be easily understood by their partner They use a polite Tone of Voice to signal respect & friendliness They also use: Just the Right Distance (not too close & not too far away) Just the Right Speed (not too fast & not too slow) Just the Right Volume (not too soft & not too loud) They try to be “mindful” of their conversational partner, by “thinking socially”

WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by READING in order to understand others’ ideas & feelings They decode, or “sound out,” the words they see They make sense of what each word, sentence & paragraph means They compare & contrast plots, settings, and characters presented by authors They generate alternative endings to plots, and identify the reason(s) for, and impact of, the alternatives They compare & contrast different versions of the same stories that reflect different cultures They are “mindful” of the author and the author’s intent

WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by WRITING so that others can understand their ideas & feelings They write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events and experiences They write brief narratives based on their own experiences They describe the setting, characters, objects and events in detail They tell their story using a logical sequence of events They write using correct English spelling, grammar & punctuation They use good penmanship so that others can read their thoughts & feelings They are “mindful” of their reader and are capable of perspective-taking

The Personal Narrative
Complete Episode of a narrative The Personal Narrative Copyright © 2009, MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

What Are Six-Second-Stories®?
A kernel sentence containing the 4 Wh’s… Who? Did What? Where? When? …that creates a springboard for a balanced conversational exchange, like: “My parents ( ) took me to see the movie “Hop” ( ) at the Mall ( ) on Saturday night ( ).” instead of: “They took me to a movie” which is sentence that could easily cause a conversational breakdown Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Exemplar of an Adult Six-Second-Story®
At lunchtime one Monday in August, a few weeks after the school year started, a 4th grade teacher, new to our faculty, asked me, “Gwynne, what did you do over the weekend?” I realized that she didn’t know much about me yet, since we had just been introduced in a faculty meeting a few days earlier. So, I decided to tell her about myself in a way that would Kick-Off a brief conversation that might eventually lead to a mutually- satisfying, collegial relationship. I felt pleased that she expressed interest in getting to know me, because I was hoping that she would be open to the idea of co-teaching with me in her classroom. I planned to tell her that I was married and to whom, and then describe one of the special interests we share as a married couple. I wanted to see if she liked this activity too, and then quickly find out what other things we might have in common for future reference. So I said, “My husband, Bob, and I went to the Idaho Ballet performance at the Morrison Center on Saturday night.”

Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet
Story Grammar Elements Story #1 Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet Story #2 Who? Who is the story about? Name the character. Did What? What did the character do in the story? Where? Where did the character do this action/activity? When? When did the character do this action/activity? Story #3 “My husband, Bob, and I went to the Idaho Ballet performance at the Morrison Center on Saturday night.”

Copyright © 2011, MindWing Concepts, Inc.
PRAGMATICS Eye Contact Do you watch the speaker’s mouth and eyes? Feedback Are you giving the speaker feedback to indicate interest? (Non-verbal nods, smiles, knitted brows, and verbal comments such as “okay,” “yes,” “I’ve been there.”) Non-Linguistic Social Conventions Linguistic Narrative Related Components Noise Are you making extra noise? Turn Taking Is it your turn to talk or listen? Space How do you use the space around you to communicate? Are you a space invader? Topic Maintenance Are you talking about what I’m talking about? Body Language Do you show interest in what is being said? Do you use gestures? Comments Can you make suggestions in a positive way? Tone of Voice What message is your voice giving? Clarification Can you ask the speaker to explain what s/he means? Can you, as the speaker, repair your message so your communication partner can understand it? Copyright © 2011, MindWing Concepts, Inc.

ask your communication partner to explain
Can you, as the listener, ask your communication partner to explain what s/he means if you’re confused? Can you, as the speaker, prepare your message so your communication partner can understand it the first time? Can you, as the speaker, repair your message so your communication partner can understand it if s/he is confused? Copyright © 2011, MindWing Concepts, Inc.

How Can Six-Second-Stories® Help?
Six-Second-Stories® (S3) teach our students how to bridge the gap between their mind and someone else’s in three ways: By effectively sharing personal narratives with conversational partners, relationship development becomes possible 2) By being able to generate a topic sentence to WRITE a personal narrative 3) By facilitating Social Problem Solving S3 are intended to “simplify” a complex human interaction/conversational exchange so that essential skills can be isolated, extracted, taught effectively & then re-inserted into the dynamic process so that our students can actually “connect” with others (language/literacy/Social Thinking® synergy). Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Why Do Six-Second-Stories® Work?
Oral language is paired with written expression in a highly structured format The visual template allows fleeting auditory information to be “freeze-framed” to improve: Auditory comprehension (on the listener’s part) or Oral expression (on the speaker’s part) This scaffolding can be gradually faded & replaced with a naturalistic cuing system Students’ strengths are emphasized: a visual learning is paired with their preferences for following predictable patterns, solving puzzles, and using tactile-kinesthetic tools The oral-literacy continuum is combined, since students are listening, speaking, reading and writing throughout the structured activities Using SGM® methodology, students can be taught to write a personal narrative once they have generated a topic sentence based on a Six-Second-Story® in response to a Prompt such as: What did you do over Spring Break? Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

What Makes This Intervention Unique?
Six-Second-Stories® offer explicit, systematic yet flexible instruction Easily adapted to suit a wide-range of students (PreK-12) Improves conversational exchanges in the Here & Now (listening & speaking), but incorporates critical elements of the There & Then (reading & writing) as well Strengthens oral communication skills while enhancing literacy skills Benefits our students (they have fewer dots to connect) between interpersonal & academic behavioral expectations Benefits educators & parents (through increased efficiency) with continuity of underlying vocabulary, concepts & materials Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet
Story Grammar Elements Story #1 Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet Story #2 Who? Who is the story about? Name the character. Did What? What did the character do in the story? Where? Where did the character do this action/activity? When? When did the character do this action/activity? Story #3 to the playground last Saturday Kathy ran played baseball with his team Ronald Morgan in the park after school John walked to the store last night

Desired Student Outcomes from Teaching Six-Second-Stories®:
Short-term Objectives: to prevent conversational breakdowns from occurring in the first place (thru pre-planning instruction) and 2) to provide strategies for effective analysis/repair of conversational breakdowns when necessary Long-term Goals: Greater communication effectiveness as shown by reciprocal relationships & improved personal problem-solving achieved by increasing the student’s Perspective taking skills/insight/empathy Spontaneity during social interactions Self-regulation Self-advocacy Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Goal for Receptive Conversational Repair:
In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, the student will: 1) recognize when s/he doesn’t understand his/her conversational partner; and 2) use selected conventional phrases (e.g., “Who are you talking about?” “What did X do?” “Where did X do…?” “When did X do…?”) to clarify confusing information and repair the breakdown, in 80% of opportunities. How to Teach Receptive Conversational Repairs! Step 1: Match cut-out printed stories • Who? Bob • Did What? watered the flowers • Where? in his garden • When? last night Step 2: Teach story analysis using a blank Six-Second-Story® Therapy Sheet Step 3: Systematically omit 1 key element at a time (Who? Did What? Where? When?) Step 4: Randomly omit 1 key element Step 5: Eliminate the use of visual template Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

How to Teach Expressive Conversational Repairs!
Goal for Expressive Conversational Repair: In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, the student will: accurately interpret his/her partner’s facial expression & body language, indicating that a conversational breakdown has occurred; and 2) use selected phrases (e.g., “Have I lost you?” “You seem confused”), along with supplying the missing details, to repair the breakdown, in 80% of opportunities How to Teach Expressive Conversational Repairs! Step 1: Teach client how to tell “complete” Six-Second-Stories® Step 2: Client creates Six-Second-Stories® Step 3: Client systematically omits key elements in Six-Second-Stories® Step 4: Teach client to “read” confusion on partner’s face Step 5: Teach client to do a reality-check with partner Step 6: Client makes repairs by providing missing detail(s) Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Goal for Planning Conversational Kick-Offs:
In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, when presented with a Prompt like What did you do after school yesterday? Or What are your plans for the weekend? the student will: 1) recognize what information s/he is being asked to provide; and 2) respond appropriately, kicking off a two-way conversation, in 80% of opportunities. How to Teach Pre-Planning for Conversational Kick-Offs! Step 1: Teach story analysis using a blank Six-Second-Story® Therapy Sheet • Who? My friend, Ian, and I • Did What? played soccer with our team • Where? at Ann Morrison Park • When? after school yesterday Step 2: Teach Receptive Conversational Repair Step 3: Teach Expressive Conversational Repair Step 4: Model & demonstrate appropriate responses to, or initiation of, conversations Step 5: Eliminate the use of visual template Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

All About Me Scaffolding
My name is _______________ ___________________. I am a(n) _____________ year old _______________. I am a student at ________________________ Elementary in _____________ Grade. My teacher’s name is _______ ___________________. I have ________, __________ __________ hair and _____________ eyes. I have ____________ skin and a __________ face. _______________________________________. I am ____________ in height and have a _______________ build. I usually wear _________________ and ______________________. The three words that best describe my personality are: 1) _______________________ because I _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________; 2) ______________________ because I _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________; and 3) _______________________ because I _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________. Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

All About a Peer Scaffolding
His/her name is _______________ ___________________. S/he is a(n) _____________ year old ___________. S/he is a student at ________________________ Elementary in _____________ Grade. His/her teacher’s name is _______ ___________________. S/he has ______________, _______ _______________ hair and _____________ eyes. S/he has _________ skin and a __________ face. S/he is ____________ in height and has a _______________ build. S/he usually wears ______________________ and _________________________. The three words that best describe his/her personality are: 1) _______________________ because s/he ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________; 2) ______________________ because s/he ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________; and 3) _______________________ because s/he ______________________________________ _________________________________________________________. Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

Six-Second-Stories® Generate Topic Sentences
Review SGM Icons for The Character/The Setting/Actions and explain: As storytellers, we need to help our listeners/readers understand what we’re saying by telling them Who-Did What-Where and When. Tying our ideas together with important “sticky words” like first, after that, and then, and finally gives our listeners/readers a logical sequence so that they can follow our train of thought. Introduce Six-Second-Stories® (S3) = Topic Sentence Read The Wheels on the Bus and sing the matching song using gestures 4) Demonstrate how to adapt The Action Sequence Map and write a personal narrative 5) Teach how each of the three components fit together: 1) Write The Bus Driver’s Character Description (kids’ choices) 2) Brainstorm The Setting’s Description 3) Describe The Actions (using cohesive ties) 6) Assign Carryover Activity: Write a personal narrative, like we did together in class today, in response to the prompt “What did you do over the weekend?” Provide more information on storytelling in this week’s Parent Letter---how Six-Second-Stories® can help students organize their oral storytelling & writing

Recommended Resources
Assessment Tools: Social Thinking Weblog for Parents & Educators TalkAbility: People Skills for Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum--- A Guide for Parents TalkaboutAssessmentTool The CommunicationLab Profile found in The Survival Guide for School-Based Speech Language Pathologists (edited by Treatment Materials: From Autism Asperger Publishing My Book of Feelings (Jaffe & Gardner) The Incredible 5-Point Scale (Buron & Curtis) A “5” Could Make Me Lose Control (Buron) From Free Spirit How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger (Verdick & Lisovskis) plus many other great related titles From Other Publishers: Kimochis The Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions (Madison) @ Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • • Web:

From MindWing Concepts, Inc. @ www.mindwingconcepts.com
It’s All About the Story! A Guide for Parents & Educators of Children with AS and HFA Making Connections! Perspective Taking, Theory of Mind and Pragmatics Using the Critical Thinking Triangle of the Story Grammar Marker (both by Moreau) and Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories and Other Social Communication Strategies: An Interactive Guide for Educators and Parents of Children with Social Learning Challenges (Moreau and McElhinney) From Think Social Social Thinking at Work: Why Should I Care? (Winner & Crooke) Social Thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens (Winner) Whole Body Listening Larry at Home! (Wilson & Sautter) Whole Body Listening Larry at School! (Sautter & Wilson) From Youth Light, How Do I Stand in Your Shoes? (DeBell) Teaching Children Empathy, The Social Emotion (Caselman) From Various Sources: Conversations: A Framework for Language Intervention amazon.com Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids (McCloud) @ and marketing.com I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! How about Maybe? amazon.com My Mouth Is A Volcano! The Worst Day of My Life Ever! The Social Skills Picture Book

Generalization Programs:
Parent-partnered therapy used at Gwynne McElhinney’s Lab for Social Intelligence Kimochis Think Social Publications The Go-To Guide for Social Skills Replacement Behaviors for Instruction Suggested Goals & Objectives Self-Regulation Strategies Research-Based Methods for Carry-Over and Generalization Progress Measurement Tools See Facilitating Relationships for more details re: SquiGuMs Wristbands Websites: Rocky Mountain Autism The P.L.A.Y. The Hanen Love and Tony Carol Future

I see communication as a huge umbrella that covers and affects all that goes on between human beings. Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships he makes with others and what happens to him in the world about him. How he manages his survival, how he develops intimacy, how productive he is, how he makes sense, how he connects with his own divinity--- all are largely dependent on his communication skills. ~Virginia Satir

Final Thoughts Integrating treatment to promote communicative competence (by teaching listening & speaking, reading & writing skills in a robust systematic, explicit approach) is a recommended practice. The methodology of Six-Second-Stories® is designed to facilitate conversational skills, relationship development & literacy progress. Involving others----educational staff, peers, and especially parents---is the key to the successful transfer of newly-acquired social competence out of therapy and into the Real World! As we improve our treatment of children with social learning weaknesses, we increase the odds that they will be better integrated into society, and become healthy, happy, contributing citizens. I hope that this new school year is a rewarding one for all of you. Best wishes for success in your pursuit of improved professional effectiveness!

Disclosures Financial: I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts, Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories®

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Disclosures Financial: I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts, Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories®

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Presentation on theme: "Disclosures Financial: I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts, Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories®"— Presentation transcript:

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