Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Teaching Social Skills to children on the Autism Spectrum in...

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

Teaching Social Skills to children on the Autism Spectrum in Natural Settings

Kelly McKinnon, MA, BCBA, Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.


Teaching Social Skills in Natural Settings

Questions to ask:1) What is Autism

2) What are Social Skills?

3) How do you Teach?

4)) What are Natural Settings


Autism Spectrum Disorder

Qualitative Impairment in Communication1. Delay or lack of spoken language2. Delay in ability to initiate or sustain conversations3. Stereotyped and repetitive use of language

Qualitative Social Impairment1. Impairment with nonverbal behaviors: eye gaze, facial

expression, body posture, gestures2. Failure to develop peer relationships at developmental

level3. Lack of social emotional reciprocity

Impairment: restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior1. Restricted patterns of interest, and inflexible adherence

to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals2. Lack of varied, spontaneous, social imitative play,

preoccupation with parts of objects

1

2

3


Research

• “Children with autism often gravitate to repetitive play activity, ranging from manipulating objects and enacting elaborate routines to pursuing obsessive and narrowly focused interests. Without specific guidance, they are less likely to engage in functionally appropriate play with objects similarly”. (Wolfberg, 1999)

• Research shows that children with autism may be even more likely to experience loneliness & poor quality friendships then their typical developing peers (Bauminger, Kasari, 2000)


The Module System of Social Skills

• Module 1: Joint attention; social referencing, imitation> Core Deficit Area 2

• Module 2: Ability to acknowledge and greet others in our world >for YOU

• Module 3: Ability to interact with others, usually play> Core Deficit Area 3

• Module 4: Ability to calm self and self-monitor> Core Deficit Area 3

• Module 5: Social Language~ Functional Language> Core Deficit Area 1

• Module 6: Perspective Taking & Theory of Mind> Core Deficit Area 1 & 3

• Module 7: Ability to problem solve, critical thinking> Core Deficit Area 1 & 3

• Module 8: Ability to adapt to advanced language and all that comes with it: social pragmatics, including interpreting social clues, inferences> Core Deficit Area 1

• Module 9: Community/Friendships> All Core Deficit Areas


Student:

Module 1 Joint Attention/Attending 1:1 setting Group setting Natural Setting

Basic rapport building/instructional control(can tolerate simple 2-3 motor step directions minimum)Establishes basic eye contact to objects & people in anticipationLooks/reaches for desired item in close proximityTurns and orients toward person when making requestsLooks when called/comes when called/responds to nameFollows eye gaze, point or gesture by othersBeginning imitation 1-3 step motor tasksLooks/orients when listening to others (shifts body/gaze every few sec.)Follows simple commandsRespond/imitate to basic gesturesSits and attends to simple tasks (10 min)1:1 Reciprocal actions- ball/toy/action activitiesShift gaze (during activities) to new people/items in spaceSit quietly in circle/small group/look, sit, attend 10 minutesImitates hand movements in circle to music & rhythm & group imitationReciprocal activities in a small groupRecognize/know your place in spaceFollowing group auditory & nonverbal instructionsImitates & recognizes voice & body activities (level, vocal actions)Calls out in unison Waiting turn to talk (1:1, in a group, and gaining attention) Sharing and being a leader-check & orient to your listenersBasic checking and reading non-verbal social cues & your place


ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis

Well-documented as an affective treatment for ASD

– Lovaas, 1987 study; well-known at this point

– In 1996 the Early Intervention Program of the New York State Department of Health “that the panel strongly recommends implementation of behavioral and educational intervention for children with autism”

– Howard, Sparkman, Cohen, Green & Stanislaw, 2004

– Surgeon General


ABA

“Emphasizes employing instructional

technology designed to change behavior in a

systematic and measurable way”

(Maurice, Luce & Green 1996)

ABA defines HOW to teach

It does not define WHAT to teach


ABA is NOT

• Strictly 1:1 teaching

• Table-top work

• DTT

• “Robot-like teaching”

• Giving M&M’s


ABA Is

• Systematic breakdown of skill teaching

• Understanding prompt hierarchies

• Understanding different types of reinforcement

• Structured and incidental teaching

• Understanding learning styles

• Making data-based decisions

• And more!


Social SkillsIn

Natural Setting

School Home

Community Friendships


School

• What social skills to teach?– School readiness: Sit still, listen, attend, raise

hand, wait turn, independent work, work collaboratively, maneuver classroom, walk in line, ask for help, take feedback, organize materials

– Sociability: greet and acknowledge others, play, teams, clubs, sports, converse, play, join in, initiate, sustain, provide empathy, filter & ignore what is right and not right, make friends


Home

• Family: self-help skills, responsibility & chores, meals, holidays and family gatherings

• Siblings: sharing, getting along, playing together, empathy, support


Community

• Accessing: tolerating locations, accepting feedback in locations (yes or no), waiting,

• Safety: Staying with family members, stranger understanding, street safety, directional understanding

• Independence and knowledge: How to use each place, understand money, asking for help


Friendships

• Understanding what a friend is

• Know how to be a friend

• Understand the value of friendship & reasons why to have friends

• Keeping friends

• Play dates

• Clubs


Natural Settings

• Defined as:– Where the skill is most likely to occur– Where the skill most often occurs

• Challenges:– Opportunities– Too overwhelming– Skills may need to be taught first


Natural Settings

• Teaching Strategies– Use ABA Principles

• Identify social skill needs based on:– Module system> to determine what skills are deficit– Determine child's strengths, interests & learning style– Determine interest>keep motivation up!– Determine location to start teaching– Determine natural consequences– Determine natural opportunities, settings, peers– Determine generalization & self-monitoring techniques


School settings

Challenges:

Social Skills often happens during recess– Attempting to teach in the moment– Staff on breaks– How to get peers– Limited time– “lunch bunches”

• Kids often can’t eat and talk!


School Settings

In 2001 the book Educating Children with Autismranked social skills and the teaching of developmentally appropriate play, “among the eight types of goals that should have priority in the design of effective educational programs for children with ASD”

Social skills needs to be a scheduled activity


School Setting

Scheduled Play activities as part of day

Teaching play in the classroom

1) Use the play skills checklist, according to appropriate level, to determine play needs. Then set up stations in your class, addressing each level of need, and placing your student at the level that they need. With success, move them through to the next play station.

Station #1 Play 1:1 Teaching

Station #2 Independent Play

Station # 3 Play w/ peer

Station #4 Play with trained peer, no adult (with success from # 3)

Station #5 Play with more then 1 peer


Peers

• Peer mentor programs– Most schools have ASB or PALS or Buddy Programs– Schedule & Assign– Use School-wide reinforcement systems– Train peers– Make it cool– Pair up students with same interests– Blend in during recess and lunch & breaks– Blend during Mainstreaming or Inclusion time


• Here is one sample of how we took a school’s “theme” and broke it down:• Teaching Social Skills• Lily Elementary School• School Theme: Be Safe• Our breakdown: -Being nice to others/complimenting others• -Recognizing teasing/dealing with a bully• -Keeping your hands to yourself• -Dealing with peer pressure• -Recognizing a stranger and what to do • School Theme: Be Respectful• Our breakdown: -Definition of respectful• -Look/Listen to your teacher• -Look/Listen to adults & friends• -Use polite words• -Following school rules• -Waiting your turn• -Sharing/trading• -Being a good sport• -Joining into conversations/not interrupting others• School Theme: Be Responsible• Our breakdown: -Bring materials to class and be prepared• -Complete all assignments• -Help a teacher/Help a friend• -Avoiding fights/trouble• -Recognizing another’s feelings & helping them• -Keeping yourself neat & clean


Video Modeling

• Research on video modeling indicates highly effective method of teaching

• Both video modeling, and video feedback can be highly effective


Tips for supporting children with autism at recess: Children with autism do not socialize with others for for many reasons:

* They may not be reinforced socially by attention as other children are. In this instance, providing external modes of reinforcement paired with social attention may help increase socialization. * They may not have the skill set or organizational skills to scan, determine and join into an activity. Pre-viewing ideas, or helping a student to scan and then join in may help increase socialization.

* They may not have the skill set to play the activity as it is being played. Providing additional practice, modified games, or pairing a student with a buddy that helps support and guide may help increase socialization.

* They may not have all of the language skills to to converse with students. Try pairing buddies that are trained to understand the student. Try having a speech & language pathologist observe and help target needed areas during lunch & recess time. * Remember~ reinforcement is the key! Reinforcement increases the likelihood that a skills will occur again! If want your child to do something that is hard for them, make it worth it! With skills & experience, your student will likely increase their socialization time!


Self-management

One of the ultimate goals of education

Can:– Be used for behaviors that may go un-noticed– Support & ensure generalization– Be used to more efficiently run a classroom– Promote greater independence


RecessVisual logs can be a very useful tool to help organize recess play. First, use it to teach/ prompt a student to acquire the skill. Then, use the same tool for the student to use to self-monitor: to ensure skill proficiency.

_________ Recess Log

Recess 1 2 3 Find Friends J oin in their play game:___________ Sustain play-15 minutes Keep my hands to myself (keeping in line with game)

Understands/ follows rules Comments:____________________ ______________________________ Check a box if responded correctly, Circle and – sign if did not do correctly Transfer onto daily log/ home communication


Responsibility tips:

~Make your child’s responsibilities part of a daily routine

~Make responsibilities for everyone, and make it part of your “family

culture”

~Use visuals or lists to remind everyone of the responsibilities

~Use reinforcement systems that are part of your child’s everyday life,

such as a small allowance, access to TV, video games or preferred

activities! This is how it used to be! This matches a child’s desires to the

acts you are asking for, to make a more “natural” reinforcement

contingency

~Verbally praise your child and show attention for responsibility acts!


Monday Tuesday WednesdayThursday Friday Saturday SundayI will do all of my household chores1) Set table2) Clear table3) Feed dog

I will do my homework each night

I will not hit anyone

I will not scream or yellI will go to someone for help


Thank you

Social Skills Solutions, A hands on manual for teaching Social Skills Solutions, A hands on manual for teaching children with autismchildren with autism; Kelly McKinnon, ; Kelly McKinnon, www.difflearn.com

WWW.kellymckinnonassociates.comWWW.kellymckinnonassociates.com

http://www.difflearn.com/

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