Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Teaching Social Skills to children on the Autism Spectrum in Natural Settings Kelly McKinnon, MA, BCBA, Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Teaching Social Skills in Natural Settings Questions to ask: 1) What is Autism 2) What are Social Skills? 3) How do you Teach? 4)) What are Natural Settings

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Autism Spectrum Disorder Qualitative Impairment in Communication 1.Delay or lack of spoken language 2.Delay in ability to initiate or sustain conversations 3.Stereotyped and repetitive use of language Qualitative Social Impairment 1.Impairment with nonverbal behaviors: eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, gestures 2.Failure to develop peer relationships at developmental level 3.Lack of social emotional reciprocity Impairment: restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior 1.Restricted patterns of interest, and inflexible adherence to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals 2.Lack of varied, spontaneous, social imitative play, preoccupation with parts of objects 1 2 3

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Research “Children with autism often gravitate to repetitive play activity, ranging from manipulating objects and enacting elaborate routines to pursuing obsessive and narrowly focused interests. Without specific guidance, they are less likely to engage in functionally appropriate play with objects similarly”. (Wolfberg, 1999) Research shows that children with autism may be even more likely to experience loneliness & poor quality friendships then their typical developing peers (Bauminger, Kasari, 2000)

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. The Module System of Social Skills Module 1: Joint attention; social referencing, imitation> Core Deficit Area 2 Module 2: Ability to acknowledge and greet others in our world >for YOU Module 3: Ability to interact with others, usually play> Core Deficit Area 3 Module 4: Ability to calm self and self-monitor> Core Deficit Area 3 Module 5: Social Language~ Functional Language> Core Deficit Area 1 Module 6: Perspective Taking & Theory of Mind> Core Deficit Area 1 & 3 Module 7: Ability to problem solve, critical thinking> Core Deficit Area 1 & 3 Module 8: Ability to adapt to advanced language and all that comes with it: social pragmatics, including interpreting social clues, inferences> Core Deficit Area 1 Module 9: Community/Friendships> All Core Deficit Areas

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis Well-documented as an affective treatment for ASD –Lovaas, 1987 study; well-known at this point –In 1996 the Early Intervention Program of the New York State Department of Health “that the panel strongly recommends implementation of behavioral and educational intervention for children with autism” –Howard, Sparkman, Cohen, Green & Stanislaw, 2004 –Surgeon General

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. ABA “Emphasizes employing instructional technology designed to change behavior in a systematic and measurable way” (Maurice, Luce & Green 1996) ABA defines HOW to teach It does not define WHAT to teach

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. ABA is NOT Strictly 1:1 teaching Table-top work DTT “Robot-like teaching” Giving M&M’s

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. ABA Is Systematic breakdown of skill teaching Understanding prompt hierarchies Understanding different types of reinforcement Structured and incidental teaching Understanding learning styles Making data-based decisions And more!

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Social Skills In Natural Setting SchoolHome Community Friendships

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. School What social skills to teach? –School readiness: Sit still, listen, attend, raise hand, wait turn, independent work, work collaboratively, maneuver classroom, walk in line, ask for help, take feedback, organize materials –Sociability: greet and acknowledge others, play, teams, clubs, sports, converse, play, join in, initiate, sustain, provide empathy, filter & ignore what is right and not right, make friends

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Home Family: self-help skills, responsibility & chores, meals, holidays and family gatherings Siblings: sharing, getting along, playing together, empathy, support

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Community Accessing: tolerating locations, accepting feedback in locations (yes or no), waiting, Safety: Staying with family members, stranger understanding, street safety, directional understanding Independence and knowledge: How to use each place, understand money, asking for help

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Friendships Understanding what a friend is Know how to be a friend Understand the value of friendship & reasons why to have friends Keeping friends Play dates Clubs

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Natural Settings Defined as: –Where the skill is most likely to occur –Where the skill most often occurs Challenges: –Opportunities –Too overwhelming –Skills may need to be taught first

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Natural Settings Teaching Strategies –Use ABA Principles Identify social skill needs based on: –Module system> to determine what skills are deficit –Determine child's strengths, interests & learning style –Determine interest>keep motivation up! –Determine location to start teaching –Determine natural consequences –Determine natural opportunities, settings, peers –Determine generalization & self-monitoring techniques

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. School settings Challenges: Social Skills often happens during recess –Attempting to teach in the moment –Staff on breaks –How to get peers –Limited time –“lunch bunches” Kids often can’t eat and talk!

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. School Settings In 2001 the book Educating Children with Autism ranked social skills and the teaching of developmentally appropriate play, “among the eight types of goals that should have priority in the design of effective educational programs for children with ASD” Social skills needs to be a scheduled activity

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. School Setting Scheduled Play activities as part of day

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Peers Peer mentor programs –Most schools have ASB or PALS or Buddy Programs –Schedule & Assign –Use School-wide reinforcement systems –Train peers –Make it cool –Pair up students with same interests –Blend in during recess and lunch & breaks –Blend during Mainstreaming or Inclusion time

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Here is one sample of how we took a school’s “theme” and broke it down: Teaching Social Skills Lily Elementary School School Theme: Be Safe Our breakdown:- Being nice to others/complimenting others -Recognizing teasing/dealing with a bully -Keeping your hands to yourself -Dealing with peer pressure -Recognizing a stranger and what to do School Theme: Be Respectful Our breakdown: -Definition of respectful -Look/Listen to your teacher -Look/Listen to adults & friends -Use polite words -Following school rules -Waiting your turn -Sharing/trading -Being a good sport -Joining into conversations/not interrupting others School Theme: Be Responsible Our breakdown: -Bring materials to class and be prepared -Complete all assignments -Help a teacher/Help a friend -Avoiding fights/trouble -Recognizing another’s feelings & helping them -Keeping yourself neat & clean

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc. Video Modeling Research on video modeling indicates highly effective method of teaching Both video modeling, and video feedback can be highly effective

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

Self- management One of the ultimate goals of education Can: –Be used for behaviors that may go un-noticed –Support & ensure generalization –Be used to more efficiently run a classroom –Promote greater independence

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

Recess

Kelly McKinnon & Associates, Inc.

Thank you Social Skills Solutions, A hands on manual for teaching children with autism; Kelly McKinnon,