Social skill and strategies. Libby Brown Manager SERU June 2019

Social Skills Strategies What do I mean by social skills Developmental sequence Behaviour as communication How to support your child develop the social skills they need. SERU resources.

Social skills Are both innate and learned They generally follow a developmental sequence and can be taught. Parents play a critical role. A socially competent person knows how to behave in different situations. The skills we use to interact with others. Reflexes, parents modelling and shaping, applying the skills, importance of peers. Social thinking, Initial skills are easy to teach but become more complex with age. Playing chasey in the school yard- different rules for age, gender, Students with disabilities may need to be taught ,like many aspects of their learning they need explicit teaching and time to practice, transfer skills etc. Therapy???

A milestone of infancy is joint attention A milestone of infancy is joint attention. This is the building block for many parts of social communication, including play, cooperation, sharing an imagination, and working as part of a group. Once this milestone is reached, complex communication develops rapidly.

Interactive Play

Social thinking Social skills are more than behavior- we need social thinking. We need to select which skill to use in which situation. We all need a sense of humor but how to teach it!! Ability to tell a joke, know when and how to laugh- with others not at others Very hard to teach- thinking and higher order thinking skills.

SOCIAL THINKING The ability of individuals to think socially develops naturally and becomes intuitive for most of us. But for many individuals this process is anything but natural. Individuals with social learning challenges may find it extremely difficult to think about what others are thinking and to use their social competencies in the exact moment they are needed

Behaviour as communication Behaviour has a purpose What is being communicated? Is there a better way of communicating the need? Language? Shared interest Lack of understanding- sensory, theory of mind Social thinking- Today I am going to deliberately upset parent/teacher. Everything I do is going to be annoying

Social Competency Model

Social Competency Model

Interoception Conscious perception of an internal body state It is essential for children to understand their own bodies and emotions before they can learn about emotions and feelings. Interoception enables students to develop a sense of belonging and a meaningful way of interacting.

Interventions Teach the skill needed e.g. how to ask for help Chance to practice the skill being taught- transfer to the situation Teach about internal feelings/emotions Social thinking- social detective

Programs Jed Baker Mark LeMessieir- What’s the Bus 5 point scale- understanding yourself and your feelings Way to A PALS- early years- role play puppets Box full of feelings Stop think do Michelle Garcia Winner Most are programs that teachers use. Therapy- can you learn social skills in a 1:1 situation? Counselling to understand what is happening in your life- play therapy, most therapies involve talking. Role plays What works best for students with learning difficulties. What have you tried??

Jed Baker Uses realistic photos to teach social skills- photos of right and wrong way to behave. Good for students with ASD, uses thought bubbles

Teaches children how to think and relate socially- no diagnosis Teaches children how to think and relate socially- no diagnosis. Teachers social thinking. Play based role plays

Asist student in becoming aware of their emotions

Lindy Peterson teach social skills and hopefully help students to make friends

PALS social skills program PALS Social Skills Program is an Australian research-based social skills program designed by clinical psychologists and early childhood educators for use in early childhood centres. PALS Social Skills Program teaches children from 4 to 7 years of age about greeting others, listening, sharing, taking turns, dealing with feelings of fear, sadness and anger, and solving problems.

Way to A The Way to A, designed for children ages 3 to 9 years old, presents a simple, logical, and systematic strategy that clarifies and sequentially teaches the child how to manage his behaviour by engaging in forethought and self-analysis before acting outDeveloped with visual learners in mind, the book offers the ultimate in customisation the laminated pages may be written on and wiped clean as new situations come up. The illustrations are engaging and use the concrete nature of red and green, A and B, to illustrate correct and incorrect pathways. In addition, thinking bubbles, arrows, and boxes help make the book easy to follow and understand.

SOCIAL THINKING We consider the context; take in the thoughts, emotions, and intentions of the people; and (when needed) use that information to determine how we respond. How we think about people affects how we behave, which in turn affects how others respond to us, which in turn affects our internal and external emotional responses. It's an incredibly complex process that most of us take for granted.

Social Thinking Social Thinking is a social skills curriculum developed by Michelle Garcia Winner. The curriculum is intended for students with social learning disabilities, especially those with autistic spectrum conditions. Its main focus is on teaching students to think about how others perceive them

Self regulation- executive functioning Understanding self and others Managing strong emotions Being sympathetic understanding others perspectives

Whole school level Mind Matters Kids Matters Bullying interventions Positive Psychology Positive Behaviour Support