SOCIAL SKILLS WEBINAR October 17,

Welcome! Social Skills Webinar with Sherry Schoenberg, Julie Erdelyi and Melissa Hathaway How to login: You will be connected to audio using your telephone after joining the Webinar. Please dial the following info that will also appear on your screen: Toll: (646) Access Code: this is the number that was provided in your confirmation from GoToWebinar (don’t forget to hit the # key after the access code) Audio PIN: Shown after joining the Webinar Please DO NOT connect using your computer’s microphone and speakers. 2

WHILE YOU’RE WAITING… Consider the following questions. Why do some students interact inappropriately with others in the school setting? Why do some students, even after social skills instruction, fail to demonstrate desired behaviors? When you think of a student in your class who is not interacting appropriately, what particular behaviors would you like to see? 3

I NTRODUCTIONS When we call your name please: 1) Say “hello” 2) Tell us what school you are from. 3) Indicate who is in the room with you, if anyone. 4

W EBINAR L OGISTICS 2 Ways to Interact: Raise your hand using the icon on your screen Type a question into the text box Intermittently we will provide opportunities to interact. This webinar will be recorded. Please note, your microphone will be muted unless otherwise indicated. 5

A GENDA Best practices in teaching social skills within multi-tiered systems of support Introduction to Social Cognition Introduction to Second Step 6

T EACHER R ANKED T OP Listen to others 2. Follow the steps 3. Follow the rules 4. Ignore distractions 5. Ask for help 6. Take turns when you talk 7. Get along with others 8. Stay calm with others 9. Be responsible for your behavior 10. Do nice things for others 7

SOME REASONS STUDENTS DON’T USE SOCIAL SKILLS AFTER INSTRUCTION Don’t view skills as being useful. New behavior doesn’t bring equal or better benefits. New behavior is awkwardly performed. Student feels unsuccessful and perceives future failure. Due to the interpersonal history, student is quickly rejected or rarely given the chance to demonstrate new skills. Under stress, resorts to old patterns of reaction. Instruction did not match social skill need. 8

S OCIAL S KILLS I NSTRUCTION Matching Interventions to types of social skills problems: Most social skills studies deliver a treatment to children with an almost complete disregard for the types of social skills deficits children may have (Gresham, 1998) Consider acquisition vs. performance deficits 9

C LASSIFICATION OF S OCIAL S KILLS Acquisition Deficits Absence of knowledge for executing skill or failure to discriminate which social behaviors are appropriate in specific situations (can’t do ) Performance Deficits Skill is present in repertoire, but student fails to perform at acceptable levels (won’t do) Fluency Deficits Lack of exposure to sufficient or skilled models of social behavior, insufficient rehearsal/practice or low rates or inconsistent delivery of reinforcement of skilled performances 10

Types of Social Skills Concerns Actions & Interventions Social Skill Strengths : student knows and uses social skills consistently and appropriately Reinforce to maintain desired social behavior Use student as a model for other students Performance Use behavior techniques to increase student practice and performance of desired social behavior Frequency Provide extensive opportunities to practice across a wide range of exemplars Acquisition Direct instruction of the desired social behavior 11

W HY A SSESSMENT ? Screening and selection of students for social skills interventions Classification of specific types of social skills concerns Selection of targeted skills and competing problem behaviors for intervention Functional assessment Evaluation of the effects of the intervention 12

S OCIAL S KILLS B ASICS Social skills curriculum must match the specific need. An ideal curriculum does not exist. Basic set of “Preferred Teaching Practices” exists. Initially, learning how to teach social skills takes time and energy. 13

I NSTRUCTIONAL A PPROACH Tell (coaching) Show (modeling) Do (role play) Practice (behavioral rehearsal) Monitor Progress (feedback) Generalize (apply in multiple settings) 14

S OCIAL S KILLS I NSTRUCTION AT THE U NIVERSAL L EVEL Generally taught by classroom teacher Considered part of the curricula offering Built into the weekly schedule Often starts with the teaching of school-wide expectations and progresses to issues of concern based on data i.e., bullying, harassment, other risk behaviors Acknowledgement system should be linked to demonstration of skills covered in social skills instruction 15

S OCIAL S KILLS I NSTRUCTION AT THE T ARGETED L EVEL Pre-teaching, pre-corrections (reminders), acknowledgment and other feedback linked to universal social skill instruction and given with more frequency to students identified for targeted support Easily linked to a school’s check in/check out strategies Social skills group formed to pre-teach skills introduced in the universal curriculum as well as provide extra opportunities for practice and feedback Targeted lessons that are presented as game based instruction can ameliorate behavior challenges in the small group 16

S OCIAL S KILLS I NSTRUCTION AT THE I NTENSIVE L EVEL Link with functional assessment and behavior planning Create individualized plans within the context of the Universal (school-wide) social skills instruction Integrate what the student does well Evidence of generalization should include school, home and community 17

D ISCUSSION /Q UESTIONS / C OMMENTS 18