Promoting Communication and Social Skills for Adolescents and

Adults with Autism

Communication and Social Skills - the Connection

Topics

• Communication Strategies and Supports

• Social Skills Strategies and Supports

• Bringing It All Together

Communication Strategies and Supports

Determine the Communication Goals!

• Verbal

• Nonverbal

• Receptive

• Conversation

How Do We Teach Communication?

• Identify communication supports (proactive)• Take advantage of naturally occurring

opportunities • Create additional opportunities• Ensure motivation / reinforcement • Teach through routines• Alter the environment

How Do We Teach Communication?

• Teach during naturally occurring opportunities

• Create opportunities to teach communication

• Teach in context to promote meaning and generalization

How Do WeTeach Communication?

• Teach through motivational activities to create desire and interest

How Do We Teach Communication?

• Teach through routines to provide opportunity for repetition

– Build communication into developed routines

– Alter established routine to elicit communication

How Do We Teach Communication?

• Teach through environmental modifications to provide frequent opportunities – Set up obstacles to desired objects or

activities

– Set up problem-solving situations

Communication Supports• Communication boards / book

Communication Supports

• Cue cards

I need help.

No, thank you.

I don’t understand

Communication Supports

• Scripts

• Conversation starters / terminators

I want a cheeseburger,small fries, and a diet Coke

I’m going to Kings Dominion on Saturday

Communication Supports

• Topic boards

Choosing Topics of Conversation

Depends Safe

Topics

Taboo

Topics

1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________

1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________

1_____________2_____________3_____________4_____________5_____________

Activity: Steven

• Take advantage of naturally occurring opportunities

• Create additional opportunities

• Ensure motivation / reinforcement

• Teach through routines

• Alter the environment

• Use communication supports

Social Skills Strategies and Supports

Social Skills InstructionFive Layer Approach

(Bellini, 2006)

1. Identify and assess areas of need

2. Discern between skill acquisition deficits and performance deficits

3. Select appropriate intervention strategies

4. Implement intervention

5. Evaluate program and modify as needed

Social Skills Supports

Mentoring / Peer support Task analysis Role playing Social narratives

• Social scripting

• Video modeling

Peer SupportStrategy for Social and Communication

Skills

Mentor / Peer Support Qualities

Mentor / Peer Support Role

• Structure the social environment

• Educate others• Provide assistance• Provide reinforcement

Steps to Develop Peer Support

Step 1. Observe and work with individual to determine needs and interests

Step 2. Select peers

Step 3. Educate and train peers

Step 4. Help peers to problem solve

Task Analysis

1. Define the steps needed to demonstrate a social skill

2. Teach the person steps in order

3. Reinforce the person with positive reinforcement for demonstrating steps

Task Analysis for Accepting ‘No’ Response

After you have asked for something:

1. Look at adult

2. Listen to response

3. Take a deep breath

4. Say, “OK”

5. Ask, “Can I have it later?”

6. Listen to response

7. Say, “OK”

Implementing Task Analysis for Accepting ‘No’ Response

1. Support person demonstrates skill

2. Individual and support person role play skill

3. Skill is worked on in natural environment

Making ChoicesUnderstanding Positive and Negative

Outcomes

Making ChoicesUnderstanding Positive and Negative

Outcomes

Role Playing / Rehearsal

• Conduct in a natural environment

• Add difficulty to the role-play as the individual progresses

• Perform a significant number of repetitions of the newly introduced skill

• Treat as you would when teaching any other skill

What Is a Social Narrative?

A written account of a social situation describing:

• What occurs in a given situation

• Relevant social cues

• Why something occurs

• Common responses

Social Narrative ExampleMost people shower every day. (Descriptive)

They like to feel clean and smell good to other people. (Perspective)

If I don’t shower, I smell bad. (Descriptive)

My smell bothers other people. (Perspective)

I will try to take a shower every day. (Perspective)

Taking a shower may help other people want to be around me. (Perspective)

Social Scripting

• Identify rote language and skills for various social situations

• Script those situations

• Practice script

Video Modeling

1. Videotape the person, a mentor, or a respected peer demonstrating a social skill

2. Individual with ASD watches the video and immediately practices the skill

Activity: Steven • Select appropriate social skills

strategies from those that we just discussed

• Identify how some of these could also promote some of his goal communication skills identified earlier

Bringing It All Together

In Closing: TABB (Things, Action, Barriers, Benefits)

 •What things did you learn that you will use to support your individual?

 •What action will you take? When will you take it?

 •What barriers stand in your way? How can you overcome the barriers?

 •What are the benefits that will be received because of your action?