Social Communication Strategies (2)

Second Nature Social Skills 2015 (c)

A M Y G O R D O N , M . E D .

S E C O N D N AT U R E S O C I A L S K I L L S

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

TONIGHT, WE WILL LEARN

ABOUT:

• Behavior as Communication

• Implementing a Positive Support Plan

• Social Communication

• Teaching social skills


FOUR TYPES OF BEHAVIOR


• Attention Seeking

• Tangible Seeking

• Escape or avoidance

• Private or Sensory

HOW CAN BEHAVIOR CHANGE?

• What is motivating?

• What is the response?

• What do you want to replace it with?


POSITIVE SUPPORT PLAN


• How to keep the momentum going….

WHAT IS SOCIAL COMMUNICATION?

• Pragmatics

• Perspective Taking

• Social Executive Functioning


PRAGMATICS: USING LANGUAGE

• Examples are:

1) Conventional Greetings or Closings (hi,

bye)

2) Informing (I’m going to take a bath)

3) Demanding (Go get your backpack)

4) Promising (I’m going to get you a treat)

5) Requesting (I would like a drink please)

www. asha.org


PRAGMATICS: CHANGING LANGUAGE

• Examples include:

1) Talking differently to your students vs.

a colleague

2) Speaking differently in a school vs. a

football game

3) Giving prior knowledge/background

information to a student that comes in

to the classroom (re-cap) after a lecture

(unfamiliar information)

4) Explaining a situation www.asha.org


PRAGMATICS: FOLLOWING THE RULES (HIDDEN)

Conversational and Storytelling (Hidden) Rules:

• Reciprocity-equal turn taking

• Introducing topics

• Staying on topic (topic maintenance)

• Rephrasing/Restating a new way when misunderstood

• Reading verbal and nonverbal cues (perspective taking)

• Personal Space (Proximity to others)

• How to use facial expressions and eye contact

www.asha.org


PRAGMATIC CHALLENGES

• Unexpected or off topic remarks

• Telling a story is disorganized (sequencing issues First,

then, next, finally)

• Small variety in language use

• Avoiding conversation

• Occurs across settings and situations

• Seems unexpected for that age (developmentally)

www.asha.org


PRAGMATICS:

PERSPECTIVE TAKING

• Simon Baron-Cohen’s 8 components

1) Thoughts (green, yellow, red)

2) Feelings/Emotions (green, yellow, red)

3) Nonverbal body language (gestures, facial

expressions, tone of voice)

4) Physical State (tired, hungry)

5) Prior knowledge (past experience)

6) Belief systems (opinion vs. fact)

7) Personality (serious, easy going)

8) Situation or Context (in school, restaurant)

• Taking all 8 components and within 0-2 seconds figure the motives and intentions of self and others


PRAGMATICS:

SOCIAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING


PRAGMATICS:

SOCIAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

• Newest addition to our brain and it takes many years to

develop (think teenagers and their decision making), but it’s

the steering wheel of our brain functioning.

• Manages higher emotions such as empathy and altruism (The

sub-cortex is emotional memory)

-Empathy: the ability to put yourself in

else’s shoes

-Altruism: helping other’s for the sole benefit of

helping others and you just get to feel good

as a result of it.


PRAGMATICS: SOCIAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

• In the frontal lobe of our brain along with the prefrontal lobe (sub-cortex-emotional memory)

• It’s in charge of our higher order thinking skills-think Bloom’s Taxonomy.

1) Knowledge-Recall or locate information (brainstorm, research, prior knowledge-

organization)

2) Comprehension-Understand learned facts (planning and organizing materials-past, present,

future)

3) Application-Apply what has been learned to new situations (initiating,

staying on task, shifting or transitioning from one thought to the next, time management-

predictions,

multi-tasking, staying on task, controlling your emotions, working under

pressure , using your working memory)

4) Analysis – “Take apart” information to examine different parts (self-monitoring and

problem solving-even within the moment-metacognition)

5) Synthesis – Create or invent something; bring together more than one idea (big

picture processing-seeing the outcome from the beginning)

6) Evaluation – Consider evidence to support conclusions (What happened? What should

happen next time?-What am I doing right now that isn’t working?-Metacognition-reflection)



• Brainstorm, plan, sequence events (time management-past, present, future), predict, initiate, apply the information we know, problem solve in the moment, and evaluate the information for future use.

• Think about your use of self-talk and self-regulation during these steps (the inner thoughts you have and how to control impulses-emotions)

• Task analysis (the steps involved with even simple tasks)



• How does executive functioning effect our learning?

- Pre-school years: 1 to 2 step directions, do this-not that

(crossing the street, sharing is caring, etc.), prompts with

Assisted Daily Living Skills (ADLs). The impact of the word

“no”

- Kindergarten: 2 to 3 step directions, continuation of above

- Grades 1 to 2: Increasing independence, school rules get put into practice (raising hand vs. calling out), safety rules are become expected, homework packets-up to 20 minutes, money concepts-budgeting, etc.



- Upper Primary (Grades 3-5): future plans (errands,

events and the wait time involved-e.g. going to a friends

house, having a birthday party, etc.), doing chores with

increased independence or on their own(cleaning up

after self, doing dishes), keeping track of belongings,

planning assignments like book reports and completing

them, homework assignments being completed within 1

hour, saving money/budgeting/saving for big ticket

items, knowing what language to keep to themselves,

acting expectedly when alone or around others-being

in control of their actions and emotions, knowing daily

routine



- Middle school Years (Grades 6-8): building upon the

past knowledge and experience (e.g. chores, daily

routine, homework, etc.), planning and following

through on long term assignments, plan daily routine

but also predict the amount of time needed,

categorize what’s business vs. pleasure, listening to

authority figures and being defiant around peers

(e.g. swearing) by being in control of inhibitions (time

and place-think of someone doing things in private

vs. public)


PRAGMATICS: HOW TO TEACH

• Use the Principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis

(ABA) or direct teaching (pre-teach, practice,

review, maintain, generalize), co-teach

• Make the abstract concrete (tell the whys)

• Use preferred interests to make it fun

• Change your point of view

• Use indirect prompts (once the vocabulary has

been established)

• Shift your focus and find the positive (Dr. Steve Gutstein Relationship Development Intervention)


PRAGMATICS: LINK IN LISTENING™

Eyes to look at

the speaker

Look at the

bridge of their

nose if makes

me feel better

Quiet mouth

unless it’s my

turn to talk on

topic

Listening ears for the speaker

Personal Space

in a shared

space, face the

speaker with a

quiet body and

posture

Brain to think

About what

the speaker is

saying

Link In

Listening



• Pre-teach direct instruction

• Teach all the body parts

• Use verbal with gestural prompt (then fade out

verbal and keep gestural/visual)

• Carry over across settings

• Track the amount of times you use it


PRAGMATICS: CONVO-GRAPHICS™

Convo-Graphics™-Conversation Parts

** before you can begin a conversation, you need to be Linked In**

Greetings What is a greeting? A greeting is a way to begin a conversation or

acknowledge another person’s presence. Give different examples of greetings. They can be verbal, nonverbal,

formal, and/or informal. Hint: think about who you are talking to.

Hi, Hello, Good morning/afternoon/evening, Hey, What’s up?, S’up, a

wave, smile, hand shake, a head nod, “pound it” fist/knuckles, shoulder

tap

Small Talk What is small talk? Small talk is a short, generalized (vague)

conversation that includes topics that are “shared” with other people.

There are generally 2-6 exchanges.

Give different examples of small talk. Hint: think about the time of year

for special events and the situation you are in.

How are you? Look at this weather? Did you hear about the Patriots? Did

you see Avatar? (topics: vacation, food, tv shows, movies, sports, weather,

books, school, work, clothing, haircuts, video games, anime,

family,holidays, etc)

Transitions What is a transition? A transition is a verbal “warning” to the

conversation partner that the topic is going to change to a new one. It is

a bridge for changing one topic to another topic. Hint: Wait for a pause

in the conversation and acknowledge the last topic spoken before

changing topics.

When does a transition happen in the conversation? When you are done

talking about one topic, but you want to keep talking about other topics.

Examples: by the way, speaking of, that reminds me, hey, that’s cool,

but did you know that I ______, wow, nice, I like ____, I have ___, so,

anyway, etc.


PRAGMATICS: CONVO-GRAPHICS™

Topics What is a topic? A topic is something that you are talking about during a

conversation. It is the subject that the conversational partners are

talking about during the conversation.

Give different examples of topics in conversations.

Hint: think about the small talk topics: sports, classes, games, making

plans to get together, vacation, holidays, family, friends, sports,

drama/theater, books, toys, errands, weather, stores, clothing,

pets/animals, travelling, different places, current events, TV shows,

movies, technology, video games, etc.

“Fillers” What are “fillers?” Fillers are sounds or gestures you make to the

speaker to know that you are thinking about what they are saying. You

do not make whole words when you use these “fillers.” Hint: you can use

fillers, but use words too so the speaker knows you are interested the

conversation.

When would you put “fillers” in a conversation? When you are listening

to a speaker and want to give quick clue that you are listening and want

the speaker to continue talking. Give examples of conversation fillers: uh-

huh, hmm, uh-uh, mmmm, ah, oh, eeeeek, ugh, argh, grrr, nah, shaking,

nodding of your head, eyes widening, mouth opening, hand/arm gestures,

etc.

Closing What is a closing? A closing is a way to end the conversation. Hint: think

about the wh? Questions: when (time elapsed), where (are you going

somewhere else/situation), what (is the other person showing clues they

need to stop talking),and why (it’s time to move on to something else).

How many different types of closings to a conversation are there? They can

be verbal, nonverbal, formal, and/or informal. Hint: think about who

you saying good-bye to: Bye, Good-bye, Nice to have met you, Nice to see

you again, Good evening, Later, See ya, Take care, a wave, a handshake, a

head nod, “pound it” fist/knuckles, shoulder tap, See you soon, etc.



• Pre-teach the conversation parts

• Be explicit

• Be detailed (give as many different choices

(people, places)

• Skits/Video mapping


PRAGMATICS: FEELINGS/THOUGHTS

• Green: Keep them GOing!

• Yellow: Slow down to think!

• Red: Stop and think!


PRAGMATICS: GREEN, YELLOW, AND RED

Green Thoughts

Yellow Thoughts

Red Thoughts

Happy Cheerful Excited Pleased Joyful Compassionate Delighted Kind Proud Calm Relaxed/At ease/Comfortable Admired Interested Agreeable Appreciated Confident Encouraged/Brave Flexible Forgiving

Confused Guilty Sad Nervous Insecure Lonely Embarrassed Offended Mocked/Teased Pressured Insulted Resentful Stereotyped Worthless Ignored Humiliated Misunderstood Discouraged Anxious

Scared Mad Angry Frightened Terrified Threatened/Bullied Unsafe Furious Frustrated Failure Depressed Overstressed Intimidated Voiceless/Not feeling heard Violated Untrusting Enraged Upset Furious



How to Change Feelings and Thoughts

Second Nature Social Skills 2011©



• Give examples of different situations

• Ask students how they would feel in that situation

• Predict how another person would feel

• Predict thoughts after emotions

• Use indirect prompts


PRAGMATICS: EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED

• Expected:

- Match bodies, words, tone/volume of voice

- People have green feelings/thoughts when someone is being expected

- Pre-teach social expectations (e.g. Classroom rules/contract)


PRAGMATICS: EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED

• Unexpected: - Different bodies, words, tone/volume of voice

- People have yellow or red feelings/thoughts when

someone is being expected

- Avoid the sub-cortex thinking and remain on the frontal lobe

- Indirect/Declarative Statement: 1) I see most of my friends sitting with a

quiet voice. 2) Hmm, I hear noise….. 3) How can we be expected?


PRAGMATICS: SECOND THOUGHT™ BUBBLE

Is it a Talk Bubble or a Second Thought™ Bubble?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

*6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

*6.

* Come up with your own talk and Second Thought™

bubbles.



• Pre-teach direct instruction

• Teach the vocabulary and prompts

• Use verbal with gestural prompt (then fade out

verbal and keep gestural/visual)

• Carry over across settings

• Track the amount of times you use it


PRAGMATICS: THE COVER UP™

The Cover Up™

Use the Cover up™ all your little thoughts for the big thought of staying on topic and

being expected!

Steps of the Cover Up™:

1. Make sure you “link in”.

2. Try your best to use the same big thought (on topic thought) to “cover up” the little

thoughts you have. The little thoughts are trying to distract your brain! (Self-talk,

pretend, lock away small thoughts in a safe, etc.)

3. Ask Questions, make comments, pay compliments, even if you’re not interested.

4. Acknowledge what someone is saying before changing the topic.

5. Keep the little thoughts unnoticed to the listener (be careful not to “blurt” bubble

thoughts out loud – keep them as inside thoughts!)



• Pre-teach students how we all have thoughts in our head all day long

• Pre-teach expected vs. unexpected

• Pre-teach staying on topic (Link in Listening™, convo-graphics™)

• Show them the gestural prompt that accompanies the Cover Up™ to use anywhere at any time! Sweeping your forefinger across your forehead is the prompt.

• Have the students create their own reminders of how to make the big thought stay in their mind over the little thoughts.


PRAGMATICS: SITUATION RADAR™

• Green Problems: Let it GO! Let it slide!

• Yellow Problems: Slow down to think! Use a fix it

• Red Problems: Emergency! I need HELP!!

See Attached for Situation Radar



• Validate students feelings

(It feels like a red problem, but it’s in the

yellow zone)

( While you’re a learner, it will feel like a

yellow problem, but eventually it will be

green).

• Pre-teach coping strategies and let the students create a toolkit

• Praise for identifying the problem and applying the coping skill

• Use indirect prompts (Hmm, if it’s a green problem… or How do we act with a green problem?


PRAGMATICS: THE FIX ITS ™

The FIX ITS ™

What happened?

How do I feel? happy proud calm relaxed excited frustrated annoyed nervous disappointed worried mad bored sad angry

How do they feel? happy proud calm relaxed excited frustrated annoyed nervous disappointed worried mad bored sad angry

What color are my thoughts? green yellow red

What color are their thoughts? green yellow red


PRAGMATICS: THE FIX ITS™

Let’s fix it #1:

How can I fix it?

How does this “Fix it” make me feel?

happy proud calm relaxed excited frustrated annoyed nervous disappointed worried mad bored sad angry

What Color are My Thoughts?

green

yellow

red

How do I think this Fix It will make them feel?

happy proud calm relaxed excited frustrated annoyed nervous disappointed worried mad bored sad angry

What Color are Their Thoughts?

green

yellow

red


PRAGMATICS: THE FIX ITS ™

Problem:

(Dilemma)

Plan A/Solution 1:

1.

Predictions to consider:

a.

b.

c.

Plan B/Solution 2:

2.


a.

b.

c.

Plan C/Solution 3:

3.


a.

b.

c.

Plan D/Solution 4:

4.


a.

b.

c.

Perspectives to

Consider:

Main Perspectives Secondary Perspectives


PRAGMATICS:

HOW TO TEACH

• The following steps should be considered while trying to solve a problem:

- Slow down to think or Stop to think.

- Identify the problem.

- Think of your own perspective-(feeling and thoughts) and

anyone else that is directly (main) or indirectly (secondary)

involved with the problem.

- Think of multiple solutions.

- Analyze and predict the outcome.

- Choose one solution.

- Re-assess the situation and apply and analyze the solutions

and feelings.


PRAGMATICS:

PLUG IN PLANNING™

Plug in Planning™

Insert Picture of Activity Here

Activity:

When:

Who:

Where:

What:

How:

Expectations:


PRAGMATICS:

HOW TO TEACH

• Executive Functioning:

- Time-Abstract Concept

- Future Planning

- Steps/Task Analysis of Planning


PRAGMATICS:

HOW TO TEACH

• Start with the time

- how much time do you have?

- travel time?

- how long is a particular activity?

• Think about who

- activity

-persuasion

- negotiation

- compromise (flexible thinker!) Second Nature Social Skills 2015 (c)

PRAGMATICS:

IT TAKES A VILLAGE…

USE SPECIAL INTERESTS TO HELP…..

• Pokémon

• Minecraft

• Legos

• Terraria


PRAGMATICS: IT TAKES A VILLAGE…..

• Michelle Garcia-Winner, M.S. CCC-SLP

(socialthinking.com)

• Dr. Ross Greene (livesinthebalance.org)

• Sarah Ward, M.S. CCC-SLP

(executivefunctiontherapy.com)

• Jessica Minahan, M.Ed., BCBA


QUESTIONS?

• Second Nature Social Skills

15 Main St. Ext. Unit 7

Plymouth, MA 02360

508.747.2663

Amy Gordon, M.Ed.


Social Communication Strategies (2)

Documents

Transcript of Social Communication Strategies (2)