1. Social Skills: The Great Balancing Act
Andrea Kirkman, M.S., CCC-SLP

2. Social Language Attention Nonverbal Communication
Eye Contact
Body Language
Physical Appearance
Conversational skills
starting
stopping
maintaining topic
appropriateness
Breakdown & repair
persistence
alternate strategies
Emotional Regulation
Conflict Resolution
Relationships (ewww)

3. Hallmarks of Therapy Listen – I have to hear it to learn it.
Persevere - working hard to achieve my goal
Flexible Thinking – Use my brain to think about situations in more than one way.
Honesty – openness to talk about whatever the need is so that treatment can be designed around it.

4. I have to apply these strategies too?!!

5. Hallmarks of Therapy
Listen – hear what my students have to say and incorporate it into therapy
Persevere - no matter how difficult the student or situation, I will stick with him/her
Flexible Thinking – Use my brain to think about teaching strategies in more than one way.
Honesty – I will honest with families even when it is hard.

6. The Social Thinking-Social Communication Profile
Neurotypical Social Communicator
Nuance Challenged Social Communicator
Socially Anxious Social Communicator
Weak Interactive Social Communicator
Emerging Social Communicator
Challenged Social Communicator
Significantly Challenged Social Communicator
Resistant Social Communicator

7. What are our goals?
Balancing goals for where the student is and the expectation for where the student is going.

8. Most Effective Treatment Tool
HIGH EXPECTATIONS!!

9. Goals Listening Group Interaction/Participation
Nonverbal Communication (Interpretation, Use)
Self Awareness and Self Monitoring
Changing Behavior Based on Others Perspective
Emotions/Emotional Regulation
Adjusting Language Based on What Others are Thinking and Feeling

10. Eyes Ears Body Brain
Whole Body Listening

12. Rating Scale Uses Indentify Emotions Emotional Regulation
Illustrate affect on others emotions
Size of Problem
Size of Reaction
Voice volume
Allie Explains Emotion Rating Scale

14. Zones of Regulation
Red Zone – describes extremely heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions without control Yellow Zone - heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions but with some control Green Zone - calm state of alterness Blue Zone - low state of alterness

15. Formula
Thoughts change Feelings change Actions

16. Social Behavior Mapping

17. Group Play/Participation
Provide a visual representation for group. Differentiate between group activity versus individual activity. Make the time goal oriented. “Thinking About You” “Brain in the Group” “Group Plan”

18. Peer Mediated Strategies
Integrated play groups (involve peers and adult guidance)
Peer buddy assignment (Baker, 2003; Bellini, 2006)
Classwide peer buddy program (Kamps, Barbetta, Leonard, & Delquadri, 1994)
Peer networks (see Circle of Friends)
Peer Initiation Training (train peers to guide social situations)

19. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders
PMII_Brief_pkg.pdf [PDF, 334 KB]
Brief Components
Overview:
PMII_Overview.pdf [PDF, 93 KB]
Evidence base:
PMII_EvidenceBase.pdf [PDF, 45 KB]
Step by Step Instructions:
Early Childhood [PDF, 103 KB]
Elementary, Middle, and High School [PDF, 96 KB]
Implementation Checklist:
Early Childhood [PDF, 112 KB]
Elementary, Middle, and High School [PDF, 107 KB]
Data Collection Forms:
Early Childhood [PDF, 84 KB]
Elementary, Middle, and High School [PDF, 87 KB]

20. Comic Strip Conversation
A Comic Strip Conversation is a conversation between two or more people using simple illustrations in a comic strip format. It provides a visual representation of the conversation in order to enhance understanding.
How can Comic Strip Conversations be Used?
to convey important information
for problem-solving and conflict resolution
to learn social skills
to follow simple classroom rules
to communicate perspectives, feelings and ideas

21. Comic Strip - Problem

22. Comic Strip -Solution

23. Superflex Curriculum by Michelle Winner

24. Obsessions
Most of the children I have worked with have obsessions with certain items or activities.
Ex: Legos, Video Games, Angry Birds, Thomas the Train, iPad/iPhone, Weather, Rules, etc.
It is imperative that a student learns to control the obsession rather than be controlled by it.
Whole Body Listening
Distracters
Checklists

25. Bullying
Bullying students with special needs who have ADHD often includes dual roles as both victim and bully due to behavioral tendencies. According to Wiener and Mak (2009), children with ADHD have often been associated with aggression, anxiety, depression, peer rejection, intrusiveness, inappropriateness, disorganization, compulsivity, uncooperativeness and being bossy in their peer relationships.
Wiener, J., & Mak, M. (2009). Peer victimization in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 46(2),

26. What is a social story?
A story that describes a situation, skill, or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspective, and common responses in a specifically defined style and format.
Carol Gray
Social stories are concrete word and picture-based stories written to aid comprehension of social situations.

27. When should I use a social story?
Student is facing a difficult situation
Student responds inaccurately or inappropriately to a social situation
Teach routines as well as change in routine
Address behaviors: fear, aggression, obsessions, compulsions, etc.
Applaud achievements
William Explains Social Stories

30. Steps to Writing a Social Story (adapted from Project Reach)
1. Develop the Goal - Goal is to describe an abstract concept or idea with visual, concrete references and images 2. Information Gathering – where/when the situation occurs, who is involved, how are the events sequenced, what occurs, why does it occur 3. Customize – customize the social story for the person it is written for by answering wh- questions and base text on learning style, interest, and abilities 4. Teach the Title – The title should reflect the meaning of the story

31. Apps Conversation Builder Puppet Pals 2 Zones of Regulation
Story Smart
Middle School Confidential
Training Faces