skills in autistic pupils to support the development of Using Lego therapy social competence skills in autistic pupils ROISIN MARR Introduction slide Script: My name is Roisin…

What is Lego therapy? DAN LEGOFF What is Lego therapy? Script:

What is Lego therapy cont… Script:

‘Engineer role’ look like? What does the ‘Engineer role’ look like? Examples of Lego therapy roles – what does the engineer role look like Script:

Working together to build the design How they work together Script:

What are the aims of Lego therapy? Sccipt:

What is social competence? To initiate social contact with peers, the ability to sustain an interaction with peers, and a reduction in aloofness “ ” What is social competence? Script:

My findings My findings Script: I did a very small scale study in which I carried out the Lego therapy programme over six weeks and I focused on one child. My observations were carried out before and during the programme, I was looking at social competency therefore I didn’t observe during the lego therapy sessions, but during an unstructured part of the timetable, during ‘choosing time’ in the classroom. I was seeing if the social competence skills developed in the therapy programme were transferred to other parts of the child’s school day.

Why I chose my participant Parent’s expectations My expectations Society’s expectations

Society’s Expectations

The Four Social Rules every Autistic Person needs to Learn “ From encouraging an autistic child to give up a harmless stim (which may be helping them to cope with negative sensory information), to telling them that eye-contact doesn’t hurt (when it does translate to pain for some), or that hugs are pleasant physical contact (when they may be too much sensory information all at once) or that labels aren’t painful (when the feeling of being clawed at may be very real), navigating what will be believed as real, and what will be dismissed as silly or attention-seeking, can be incredibly difficult for an autistic child.  ” Add in slide from the woman who wrote about not forcing social skills onto Autistic children.

This is why autism awareness needs expanding into autism understanding This is why autism awareness needs expanding into autism understanding. Awareness says “I know you have autism.” Understanding and acceptance says, “I understand how your autism affects you and I respect that.” “ ”

The four rules You, and only you, can say what is pleasant and what is painful for you No one has a right to tell you what you feel No one has a right to invade your personal space without your express permission You are the ruler of you

These lessons needs to be taught in every interaction These lessons needs to be taught in every interaction. They need to be the bedrock of social skills, the first and most important lesson. Otherwise we are failing with the most basic of our responsibilities. The responsibility to teach someone their human rights.  We must bear it in mind in every interaction. We must consider it in every lesson. Teach social skills by all means, but not in such a way as to create a vulnerability. For people who may miss the signals that someone does not have their best interests at heart, for people who when frightened may find it more difficult to speak or reach out for help, we must teach the skills, the social skills, that will protect them from harm.  We must teach them to believe themselves first and foremost. We must listen.

Thank you