Looking at Needs for Goal Development for

Students with ASDMiddle School Point Person Training #3

January 31, 2013Sabrina Beaudry & Pam Leonard

In Review, Last Time We:

O We reviewed the psychological/brain based theories

O We practiced describing challenges with those in mind

O We got a little off topic in discussing student transitions to middle school

Today we will:O Again practice describing what individual students’ autism

looks like.

O Use this knowledge of what it looks like, to determine specific student needs.

O Look at the global concept of social thinking needs and how to incorporate it into goals.

O Work from students’ specific needs to goal development.

O Develop goals using a social cognition paradigm

O Provide you with specific resources for social cognition and planning with social cognition in mind

Let’s remember the importance of describingO We always want to start by

describing our students’ autism…what do we see when we watch them?

O Through our trainings we have used different observation tools

Putting characteristics togetherSocial/Emotional Communication Repetitive Patterns Sensory Cognitive/Curriculum

Pam & Sabrina’s areas to consider:Social Communication

Social Problem Solving

Flexible Thinking Organization Comorbidity

Communication Social Cognitive Style

Academic

Emotional

Regulation

Sensory

       

What Does it Look Like?

Introducing Katie:O 8th gradeO Planning on attending collegeO Takes all general education classes

with supportO Supportive familyO No typical peer friendsO Asperger’s Syndrome

Communication Social Cognitive Style

Academic

Emotional

Regulation

Sensory

 Will go on and on when telling a story/ unaware that others have lost interest.

Difficulty understanding abstract language

 

Difficulty always recognizing humor/sarcasm, and using it- she tries!

Does not request clarification or assistance when confused or when does not understand something someone has said to her (may ask about specific vocabulary)

Language processing is a weakness

May interrupt others/ has difficult waiting her turn to speak in a group

 Enjoys being with peers, but has difficulty with perspective taking

Initiates conversation with others

Has great motivation to have friends & social relationships

 

Has great motivation to improve her social interactions

 

Although she thinks she is “helping”, she will point out others’ inappropriate behaviors or mistakes and gives feedback in a “lecturey” way.

 Average intelligence- math is strength.

Reading comprehension is a weakness.

Expressive writing skills are a weakness.

Weak executive functioning (impulsive, poorly organized, difficulty remembering all tasks needed to be completed).

Perseverates on mistakes she makes.

Weak central coherence (difficulty picking out important details from the big picture- perseverates on incorrect details).

Asks a lot of questions about others’ behaviors/perspectives (Why someone would be upset about a situation)

When she thinks anyone (familiar or strangers) in her surrounding is sick, she will ask them if they are sick & well as other related questions, she may raise her fist & growl at the person.

Will use inappropriate comments or may “lecture” others if they interrupt her, do not hear her/ask her to repeat herself.

May demonstrate a vocal tic & twitch (sounds like throat clearing or a hiccup) when frustrated or upset with others.

Becomes giggly/laughs when she is able to “push others buttons” & they demonstrate inappropriate behavior.

Laughs/becomes silly when discussing her own inappropriate behavior.

 Does not like to be touched

Does not like loud environments

Another example: Katie Looks Like:

Communication Social Cognitive Style

Academic

Emotional

Regulation

Sensory

       

What Does it Look Like for Your Student?

Break

Now, let’s talk about needs…What does that mean?

O A lack of something requisite, desirable, or useful.

O A physiological or psychological requirement for the well being of an organism.

Determining Student Needs:

O Use the description of your student to determine his/her needs.

O We can use the Autism 7 Considerations form to document these needs.

O The 7 considerations aligns closely with the areas of support that we discussed last training.

Autism 7 Considerations Form:

O ..\..\Point Person 10-11\Resources\autism consideration forms\AUTISM CONSIDERATIONS linear blank.docx

O This will be included in IEP Plus

ExampleO Katie's 7 considerations page

Your student’s needs:

O Fill in each area of need on the 7 considerations form for your student.

Now we’re back to supporting students!

O Here are Katie’s supports documented on the 7 considerations form.

O Katie's supports

Your Turn

O Add supports to your student’s 7 considerations form.

Back to Needs for a minute…Is there a theme?

O Do the majority of needs fall under one umbrella?

O Is there an over riding deficit area that affects all need areas?

O What is the root of the needs?

Social Cognition? In recent research

Theory of mind, Central coherence, & Executive functioning are seen to

work together in their role of social learning development.

An Article to Read!

Read the article and thenhead to lunch…

Social Thinking-Social Learning Tree

What were your thoughts?

So what is social cognition?

O The “thinking” that we use to process, store and apply information about other people and social situations

O It is an intuitive process that most people are “hard-wired” at birth that allows us to learn through observation and trial and error

O It allows us to use the processes Theory of Mind, Central Coherence and Executive Function skills in a coordinated manner

The work of Michelle Garcia has outlined Four Principles of Social Thinking

O Our thoughts and emotions are strongly connected. How we think affects how we feel and how we behave affects how others think and feel.

O We think about people all the time, even when we have no plans to interact with them. We adjust our own behavior based on what we think the people around us are thinking.

O We “think with our eyes” to figure out other people’s thoughts, intentions, emotions

O When people learn how to think differently and flexibly they can think anywhere.

Source: Winner, M.G. (2007) Thinking About You, Thinking About Me. Think Social Publications, San Jose, Ca. www.socialthinking.com

There are 3 aspects to teaching Social Thinking skills:

1) Realize other people have a different frame of mind

2) Learn how to figure out what other people are

thinking and feeling

3) Use this knowledge to self-adjust your own

social behaviors to fit the social situation so

the other people view you favorably.

Another Way of thinking about Challenges of Social Thinking

Student with IEP

Written Language Learning Disability

Math LearningDisability

Social Learning Disability

Reading Learning Disability

Jill D. Kuzma 8/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

How do Social Cognitive Deficits impact students?

Jill D. Kuzma 8/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Social SkillsEmotional SkillsAcademic SkillsBehavioral Skills

Organizational Skills

So we have talked about impact now what???

Time for goals!

Goal Development…O We want to use student needs to

develop goals.

O We want to prioritize goal areas.

O We want to write goals with social thinking in mind.

Prioritizing for Katie:O Perspective taking- with both adults &

peers

O Reading comprehension

O Expressive writing

O Organization for assignment completion

O Self Regulation of Emotions

Your turn

O Looking at the Seven Considerations page what would you choose as priorities for your student

Goal Area #1:Perspective Taking

Present Level: Katie is able to determine what another person may be thinking in a familiar situation/context, when she is prompted to pay attention to particular information (i.e. facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc.). She is independently able to interpret others’ thoughts in one on one or very small group situations with people that she is familiar with; however, she does not use this information to guide her own behavior/social communication. Same age peers are intuitively able to change their own behavior based on what others are doing/saying (perspective taking).

Goal: Improving observing & interpreting skills (MGW calls it listening with your

eyes)

By January 2014, In a structured small group setting (3-4 students),Katie will demonstrate the ability to independently change her own behavior based on the behaviors of others in the group 50% of the time.

Benchmarks:A. In a small group structured activity, Katie will use

perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others, including: Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice, ¾ opportunities.

B. In a small group structured activity, Katie will use perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others (Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice), and describe her interpretation of what they may be thinking 2/4 opportunities.

C. In a small group structured activity, Katie will use perspective taking skills to accurately describe the behaviors of others (Body language, facial expressions, & tone of voice), describe her interpretation of what they may be thinking, and appropriately change her own behavior as needed with adult prompting 3/4 opportunities.

D. GOAL…

Goal 2 Reading comprehension

O Present Level: When given a novel to read, Katie is able to read and answer basic Wh questions related to concrete facts. Deficits in Katie’s perspective taking impair her ability to answer inferential questions related to character development or be able to predict what may happen in a story. Same age peers are able to use inferential thinking to understand the characters’ perspective and predict outcome.

GOAL: To improve reading comprehension:

By January 2014, Katie will independently be able to use a social thinking tool (i.e social behavior map) to help her describe a character’s actions, how a character feels, and how a character’s actions impact others in the novel with 80% accuracy.

Benchmarks:A. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 50% accuracy.

B. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 60% accuracy.

C. After each reading assignment, Katie will independently complete a social behavior map related to designated characters in a novel with 70% accuracy.

D..GOAL…

Expected Behaviors that _______ Produces

How They Make Others Feel

Consequences He/She Experiences

    

 

How ____Feels About Himself/Herself

Unexpected Behaviors _______ Produces

How They Make Others Feel

Consequences He/She Experiences

How You Feel About Himself/Herself

         

     

Behaviors that are Unexpected

Social Behavior Map for _________, Chapt. 1

Behaviors that are Expected

Your Turn

O Based on your student’s needs, priorities decide what are the goal areas.

O Pick one goal area, and write a new goal keeping social thinking in mind.

Additional Thoughts and Resources

O A process for getting team based priorities (including parents

O On-line resource that is invaluable

O A little more time with Michelle Garcia-Winner’s resources

Next Time?

O We will focus on the ILAUGH model- what it is and how to implement

HomeworkO Either bring a goal that is based on social

cognition that has been presented and accepted at an IEP meeting

OR

O Be able to describe how you have used your knowledge of social cognition to help a team priotize needs or shift their thinking about a student