Bernards Township ABA Program(BTAP)

Staff Training

Social Competence

Casi M. Healey, M.A., BCBASharon A. Reeve, Ph.D., BCBA

Interaction with Parents School visits

School visit agendas should be prepared for every school visit.

They should include what programs the parents will be trained on

A copy of the agenda should be given to the parent and be logged in a school visit binder

Parents should sign-in/out upon arrival and departure of the classroom

Interaction with Parents

Bringing children to car/bus What should you say? What not to say?

Interaction with Others(parents, colleagues, visitors, evaluators) Enthusiastic about program Positive attitude about students Positive interactions with students Support the program Concern for the rights of students and families Prompt and prepared Advocate for students and families Request input from others Share credit with others Give and receive positive and corrective feedback it is not functional to complain but to concentrate on

problem solving behavior

Interaction with Others(parents, colleagues, visitors, evaluators)

The following small responses have a large impactFacial expressionInteraction with studentsRelationship with students

Social Competence

Children, youths, and adults with developmental disabilities are best served by professionals who teach social competence.

Unfortunately, many persons with developmental disabilities will repeatedly encounter prejudice, fear, and rejection.

Professionals who teach acceptable social and self-care repertoires can contribute immeasurably to the protection of peoples' rights

(McClannahan & Krantz, 1985).

Social Competence is an Ongoing Process

Develops over time and the skills you display vary as a function of your age and the environment in which you are currently in

Depends on the discrimination of environmental cues and the display of behavioral responses that correspond to the environmental cues

Acceptable Social Behavior

Posture, facial expression, eye contact Greetings, Interacting with other students Getting info Interacting with other people Showing off work Elimination of stereotypy Contextually appropriate language

Hygiene Practices

Request tissues and towels

Cover their mouths when they sneeze or talk

Wash their hands at appropriate times

GroomingBrush their hair

Brush their teeth

Put on deodorant

Wash their faces

Personal Appearance

Straighten their clothing

Tuck in their shirts

Change their clothing if dirty

Use a napkin

Polite/Positive LanguageYes, Please; No, Thank you,

Excuse me

Holding a door

Giving compliments

Saying thank you and you’re welcome

Independence

Carrying own items

Walking independently

Initiating activities

Asking you to follow them rather than being led

Peer Interaction Skills

Teach play and activity based responses

Teach language around play

Recognizing and Acknowledging Others

Thanking others for assistance, sending thank you cards

Attending to changes in individual accomplishments –compliments

Attending to past and future important events in their lives and lives of others

Showing Concern for Others

Attending to emotional states of others

Empathizing with others through verbal interactions

Displaying corresponding affect –matching affect to situation

Age-Appropriate Behavior

Responding in a manner that is consistent with one’s age

age-appropriate leisure skills

Performing at a Criterion Level

All components of a task should be taught

Task should be taught to be completed in the presence of relevant stimuli

High Levels of Engagement Engagement during activities is directly

related to social competence in that levels of engagement should match those of typical development

On-task behavior should be high and stereotypy low

On-task behavior must happen in the absence of adults

Model Acceptable Social Behavior

Introducing student to others

Including student in conversation

Conversations around the student

All of the social competence skills you are teaching to the students

Prompting Use of manual prompts is necessary

to teach our students

They can be intrusive to the learnerHow can you be sensitive to this?

They can look badHow can you minimize this?

Full-day Activity Schedule and Motivational System Full-day schedule

Point to picture of activity Get activity Engage in activity with instructor Put activity away when instructor says they are

finished Go to book Run LM card and engage in conversation

• Step away from the book• Obtain instructors attention• Say statement• Wait for response• Go back to book

Point to picture of next activity

Full-day Activity Schedule and Motivational System Motivational System

Trade in pennies Take picture off board Get reward Set timer Play with reward Stop timer Put choice in discard basket Select new choice Earn pennies

Full-day Activity Schedule and Motivational System Independent responses, therefore no verbal

interaction

Two separate response chains

How can you ensure they stay separate? Never end an activity when a penny board

ends Always end activities mid-penny board