The Social Thinking® Program Overview Content Compiled By: Alberta Health Services August 2016

Social Skills A set of skills people use to interact and communicate with one another. Well developed social skills is the ability to follow unwritten social rules even when you are not directly communicating with someone. Can have an impact on how we make people feel, which in turn impacts how they feel about us. Example: Stepping aside in an elevator when someone gets in Sitting quietly in the classroom while the teacher is talking even if you have something to say. Link for video: Big Bang Theory – Sheldon at the movie theater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zIY6DQSlbY (Winner, 2005)

What is Social Thinking®(the program) ? Concepts, curricula and related strategies to form a framework that can help ALL people to better understand the social experience. Learning to share space with peers. Teaches us to be aware of expectations as well as our own and others thoughts in a situation. Learning to regulate one’s behaviour based on this. This in turn can impact how we feel about ourselves! 3 (Linton, Attaway & Winner, 2015)

Generally Speaking, Social Thinking… What we DO before we ACT Thinking about what people are thinking, even if we are not planning to talk to them Helps you figure out the people around you what they may be thinking how that compares to what you’re thinking how to change your actions based on what you and other people are thinking 4 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Why do we Use Social Thinking? It is what keeps us connected to others, helps us share space effectively, think flexibly, and act collaboratively. 5 (Linton, et al., 2015)

We Need to be Social Thinkers to Understand Social Skills Social thinking is required prior to the development of social skills. Successful social thinkers consider the points of view, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, prior knowledge and intentions of others. 6

How Would a Child Present With Social Thinking Difficulties? Difficulty with listening and participating Difficulty making friends Gets upset easily Wants something done only their way Acts very silly Only talks about themselves Very competitive Thinks things are unfair Bossy Worries about things (impacting social interactions) Blurts out often Changes topics

How Do We Teach Social Thinking to our Students? Address the areas of deficits by explicitly teaching skills that lack Provide a framework which teaches components that are required in order to think socially Provide practice through active participation in activities Teach perspective taking skills 8

What Students Would Benefit? All students would benefit from these strategies and programs Students who have social skill concerns Students who are rigid thinkers It could be implemented when working one-on-one with students, small group or whole class whole class is beneficial because then the teacher is using the same language.

Social Thinking® Curricula 10 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Pre-Social Detective: We Thinkers® (designed for ages 4-7) 11

We Thinkers® Formally known as The Incredible Flexible You® Volume 1: Social Explorers Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings The Group Plan Thinking with Your Eyes Body in the Group Whole Body Listening Volume 2: Social Problem Solvers Hidden Rules & Expected/Unexpected Behaviour Smart Guess Flexible and Stuck Thinking Size of the Problem Sharing an Imagination 12

We Thinkers® With Social Thinking®, rather than teach an abstract expectation of “pay attention”, we use: Think with your Eyes Keep your Body in the Group Keep your Brain in the Group Link to video clip (thinking with your eyes): Chef Boyardee Whole Grain Beefaroni https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16yARJeag4Y&index=2&list=PLi_gGJbHTQkIAqPm0AaPZWXEbE5GbbJyq 13 (Linton, et al., 2015)

You Are a Social Detective! (designed for grades K-5) 14

Social Detective® Introduced after We Thinkers® (ages 4-7) OR Start here if the child is older than 7 years, and is ready for the concepts 15

Social Detective: Core Vocabulary We all have Social Smarts, which we use whenever we are around other people Expected & Unexpected Behaviours Body & Brain in the group Using brain, eyes, ears to be a Social Detective & figure out what is expected Smart Guess Wacky Guess Social thinking is about social knowledge and taking the perspective of the other. This needs to be taught. -these concepts can be taught to whole class to gain a core language and base knowledge to build upon. FOR EXAMPLE: Social skill: eye contact Social thinking (reasoning for eye contact): eye balls show a gaze & direction. Eye gaze helps demonstrate what a person might be thinking Scenario of a lesson to teach: watch my eyes, what am I thinking about? Look at light: thinking about light | look at pencil: thinking about pencil. Teach: be a detective and make smart guesses about what eyes are looking at and what the person is thinking. 16

Expected and Unexpected Behaviors Expected Behaviours “Things kids do or say that other kids think is friendly, helpful or respectful”. When we exhibit expected behaviors people have ‘good thoughts’ about us Unexpected Behaviours “Things kids do or say that other kids think is unfriendly, weird, hurtful and disrespectful”. When we exhibit unexpected behaviors people have ‘weird thoughts’ about us Setting: Carpet Expected: Raising your hand when you have a question or comment Unexpected: Blurting or shouting out Setting: lining up Expected: keeping your hands to yourself, no talking, walking Unexpected: bothering others, running These thoughts impact the way others treat us. 17

Example of Expected / Unexpected Behavior in a Group Link to video clip: Elf - elevator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH3oNBnEqu8&index=5&list=PLOcurBmhPgRQeL_7emGwZSg-NydHiMQDt 18

Body in the Group Used to teach students to be aware of their bodies and space in relation to others. Students are taught that when their bodies are turned into the group they are working as part of the group and that when their body is not in the group or turned out of the group that they are not part of the group. 19

Brain in the Group Used to teach students to use their eyes to think about the teacher and others in the group (i.e. looking at the speaker) When their brain is out of the group, they are not using their eyes to think about others. (i.e. their eyes look away, which distracts their thinking). Keeping our brain in the group helps us to follow the “Group Plan” 20

Be a Social Detective! Being a social detective means that you use your eyes and ears along with what you know in your brains to figure out what is expected and even what may happen next. 21

Smart Guesses A “smart guess” is when you make a guess based on information you have already learned, or know. Also called inferences, predictions or educated guesses Example: when a teacher says to think about what a character is going to do next as the character walks to the grocery store, the child would predict he is going shopping for food. 22

Wacky Guess A “wacky guess” is when we don’t think about what we know and see, then make a random guess without having any information. Example: We ask a child, “Guess what color I am going to wear to school tomorrow?” And he guesses “blue” without having any real information to base his guess on. Often we make a “wacky guess” when we forget to use our tools (eyes, ears, brain) 23

Four Steps to Perspective Taking: I think about you I think about WHY you are near me or talking to me. What is your intent? I think about what you are thinking about me I monitor and regulate my behavior to keep you thinking about me the way I want you to think about me 24 (Winner, 2005)

Social Behaviour Mapping 25

Superflex® (designed for grades 2-5) 26

Superflex® Curriculum (grade 2-5) Developed to help students understand the concept of flexible thinking 27

Superflex® Students are ready for Superflex® when they: Can distinguish between real and pretend Have learned the basic Social Thinking® concepts Can begin to think about their own thinking and how this relates to their own behaviour (developmentally ready) 28

If a student: DO NOT use Superflex® Cannot pretend Takes all information literally Has very weak language skills and it is unclear how he/she processes and responds to information DO NOT use Superflex® 29

Superflex® Goals: Introduce the Superflex character Increase self-awareness Introduce Unthinkables to label “unexpected behaviour” No expectation of self-regulation (changing behaviour) – yet… 30

Superflex is… Inside all of us A superhero who helps us develop and use strategies to defeat our “Team of Unthinkables” and be FLEXIBLE thinkers In order to be able to participate in group activities and interactions with others, students have to be flexible thinkers. Being a flexible thinker means we are great problem solvers, and can think of many different solutions to one problem 31

The team of Unthinkables Everyone has their own team of Unthinkables who work together to keep the brain rigid, and make it difficult to become flexible thinkers There are a variety of characters who represent the unexpected behaviors that people exhibit that interfere with positive interactions with others Initially used to label unexpected behaviours to increase awareness Link to video clip (Rock Brain moment): Big Bang Theory – Sheldon explains to Penny his spot on the couch 2nd link to video clip (Wasfunnyonce): Movieclips Mini: Back to the Future – Brian the Minion (2015) Minion Movie HD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKoBiZanl38&list=PL-b1We77X-ynI7EsuAGGLvruEQdXLuiCO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i1z0LJgMl8&index=16&list=PL5EEF1376E2FBDE18 32

More Unthinkable were added to the curriculum in 2012 The new 82 Unthinkables were created by proposal submissions 33

NEW – Team of Thinkables Thinkables represent the expected thinking and behaviors that kids learn through the use of our related curriculum. Each Thinkable character is a counterpart to the Unthinkable character/challenge, and adds to a person’s superflexible powers to defeat the Unthinkables.  Cluster Buster Rainbow Girl Freezer Crystal Meditation Matt Space Respecter Space Raptor Captain Choice Focus Tron Tim Taskstick-Able Inventor of Fun (I.O.F) Sunny Sun Dino Thinker Wings Please Activate Waiting Systems (P.A.W.S) 34

Thinkables 35

Suggested Progression Teach the expected behaviour first Ex. Being a flexible thinker Then introduce the Unthinkable which is the unexpected behaviour Ex. Rockbrain Teach strategies to defeat the Unthinkable to help encourage problem solving which results in the expected behaviour Beckham Linton, Renee Attaway & Michelle Garcia Winner 36

Something to consider… Recognize it is a journey between awareness and understanding of the unexpected behaviour and our ability to control or regulate that behaviour This can take years! As adults, we can appreciate how hard it is to change behaviour 37 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Something to consider… For kids with poor self-regulation, it is not that easy to get regulated and do the expected thing. We have to: Teach them what to pay attention to (Social Detective) Use a common language to help them understand expectations (Social Thinking Vocab) Provide time to process and respond to this information Teach strategies to motivate learning around self-regulation in the moment (if they are able) 38 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Defeating Unthinkables (strategies) Avoid any language around “killing” or hurting any Unthinkables We only DEFEAT an unthinkable or lay it to rest Discuss with students that the only way to defeat an Unthinkable is through the use of STRATEGIES, not by swords, guns, bombs etc. Strategies are often brain tools or thinking strategies (self-talk, inner coach etc.) 39 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Realistic Outcomes Kids with poor (social) self-awareness may develop better self-awareness Kids with stronger self-awareness may begin to self-monitor and control/change their behaviour more reliably Students will talk about Superflex, the Unthinkables, and what they are noticing (especially in others) 40 (Linton, et al., 2015)

Activities and Resources to build awareness and support carryover: Explore flexible thinking and the Unthinkables in literature and media (suggestions on https://ausomelysocial.wordpress.com/) Miss K videos (youtube – ex: Rock Brain video by Kimberly Knackstedt) Role-playing and/or cartooning Make Unthinkable characters out of plasticine Have students design their own Unthinkable Many resources online available through Pinterest®, Jill Kuzma’s website - https://jillkuzma.wordpress.com/ Visuals in the classroom (Posters) 41

Tips on teaching social thinking Use a consistent vocabulary across environments Make thoughts something that happen out loud Make social thinking a “conversation” Reinforce actions and feeling of others Discuss natural consequences and how that makes them feel

Resources & References: Hendrix, R.E., Palmer, Z., Tarshis, N., & Garcia-Winner, M. G. (2013). The Incredible Flexible You Curriculum. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Linton, B., Attaway, R., & Winner, M. G. (2015). SuperFlex and Friends Take on Social Emotional Learning and the Common Core Standards. Retrieved from Autism Awareness Conference. Madrigal, S., Winner, M. G., & Crooke, P. (2012). Social Town Citizens Discover 82 New Unthinkables for Superflex to Outsmart!: Introducing Superflex’s Very Cool Five-Step Power Plan and the Thinkables. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Madrigal, S., & Winner, M. G. (2009). SuperFlex: Takes on Glassman and the Team of Unthinkables. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Madrigal, S., & Winner, M. G. (2008). SuperFlex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Sautter, E., & Wilson, K. (2011). Whole Body Listening Larry at School. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Winner, M. G. (2005). Think Social: A Social-Thinking Curriculum for School Age Students. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Winner, M. G., & Crooke, P., (2008). You are a Social Detective. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing. Website: www.socialthinking.com 43