What does it mean to be social?

About me…..

Alison Schroeder

Speech & Language Therapist

& Primary School Teacher

www.sociallyspeaking.co.nz

Social ThinkingMichelle Garcia Winnerwww.socialthinking.co

m

The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders published a report on methodologies specifically addressing deficits in the social thinking process, finding that they are successful at teaching the ability to interact socially in people with social limitations who have near-normal to way above-normal intelligence.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Social Understanding

Difficulty seeing the “gestalt”

Cannot be assumed that a student

understands how their behaviour is

linked to the consequences

Cannot be assumed that a student

understands how their behaviour

affects the perspective of others

The sum of the parts = the whole

To be ‘social’ we need to consider and respond to the perceived thoughts and emotions of others.

SocialThinking

Social thinking happens....

when you are with other

people

when you are alone

when you are being quiet in

a group of people

Writing an email

at the gym

when you are reading a book or

watching t.v.

In the supermarket

Computergames

SocialNetworkingFace book

Standing still“Might not like people”

“Angry”

“Shy”“Talking about something that they are not interested in”

“New”

“Anxious”

“Don’t know what to say”“Don’t

understand”

Expectedbehaviours

Unexpectedbehaviours

Vs

Expectedbehaviours

Help a person to learn to be seen in a positive light by others.

People have ‘normal’ thoughts about you

Workshop Classroom Hanging out

Expected BehavioursToilet humour

Frustration Laughing

Constantly change

according to age, culture, situation and

familiarity

Friendships

People can have uncomfortable or unusual thoughts about person

Unexpectedbehaviours

Religion Wedding dress

Mini Golf

Thoughts

Opinions

Judgements

No one wants really wants to judge but we all do it without thinking – e.g. appearance, things people say and how they act

Teach the social brain to

figure out other’s points

of view

Better problem

solving how to react and respond

Big jigsaw puzzle that never ends

2003 Research Frostig Center of California

Friendship

”“Friendship is

unnecessary like philosophy, like art.

It has no survival value; rather, it is

one of those things that give value to

survivalC S Lewis r

Developing Friendships and Relationships

• Friendship even for the most capable of us, requires hard work

• Depends on a foundation of many skills built upon previously acquired skills

• Learner needs to understand the function of that skill on a personal level and how it applies to their life

People who make us feel good about ourselves

• We want to share space/time with• Consider as friendly and over time

think of as friends• Close friends do this over and over

over periods of time• Close friends share common

interests, trust each other and enjoy being with that person

Friends

• A friend is someone you feel pretty good about being around

• Real friends make you feel like you have something to offer them

• Feeling good with another person is difficult to define

• Not simple – have to show interest in them and them in you

Social Memory

We don’t remember exactly what people say or do to us but we do remember how they make us feel

Professor Haslam, University of Exeter

Five year study of 650 stroke patients (Professor Haslam, University of

Exeter)• Those part of

close-knit social group were significantly less likely to suffer a second life-threatening problem over a given period of time

• Social isolation doubled the risk of a secondary, life-threatening event e.g. heart attack

I like to be alone...• We are all members of the human race and in our society we have

to interact with others in order to survive

• Need to balance time alone/social interaction. We all have different levels

Developing the root system

Games

Play dates

Playgrounds

Communication

Teenagers

Shakespeare (The Winter’s Tale; Act III)

“I would that there were no age between ten and twenty three.. For there is nothing in between but getting wenches

with child, wronging the ancientry,

stealing, fighting…”

“I would that there were no age between ten and twenty three.. For there is nothing in between but getting wenches

with child, wronging the ancientry,

stealing, fighting…”

Social thinking

• Think about people near us

• Try to remember what we know about them

• What do they feel about what you’re saying?

• What are you doing to show you are interested?

Emotions/Emotional Regulation

(Mehrabrian, reported in Nowicki & Duke 1992)

Emotional meaning is expressed:

55% facial, postural, and gestural

38% tone of voice

Think with your eyes

• Lets others know you are paying attention

• Have to watch to figure out what they are saying/meaning

e.g. Look at clock – thinking about time

Guy looking at girl – thinking she’s cute

Eyes

• Constant eye contact = creepy• Generally look for a second or two

then look away. Keep looking back to capture more information

Language

• Helps explain our point of view, share feelings, opinions and won thoughts on the world.

• People only want to consider what we have to say about things if we don’t offend people who are listening

• Avoid download

Practice

• Make mistakes – we all do

• All misjudge social situations or motives from time to time

• Learn to laugh at oneself

• Even those good at social skills mess it up from time to time

Teens• Dinner• Organisation –

emailing/texting• Quiz night• Games evenings• Specific social

skills• Joke telling

What does it mean to be social?

To be ‘social’ we need to consider and respond to the perceived thoughts and emotions of others.