“Socially Savvy & Emotionally Equipped”: Strategies to teach Social/Emotional Skills

“Socially Savvy & Emotionally Equipped”: Strategies to teach

Social/Emotional Skills

Jill D. Kuzma, M.A., CCC-SLPSpeech-Language PathologistSocial-Emotional Skill Teacher

http://[email protected]

Kuzma, 2/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Cute Kid Quote Just prior to starting a

small group lesson, kindergarten

student, Carter was trying to pay

attention. When prompted to listen he said, “But, the guys

are having a birthday party in my head!”


Cute Kid Quote

A student teacher started in an autism classroom. After a couple of days, Johnny asks,

“Is Miss Benton just a background actor?”


Cute Kid Quote

1st grade Jacob asks Mrs. Jenkins, a paraprofessional:

“Do you have autism?”

Created by Jill D. Kuzma 2/09 5

Cute Kid Quotes

On explaining relationships, one 3rd grader reveals,

“Everyone has a different armpit smell. That’s how a woman can find a really good man is by finding the one with the smell they like the best!”


Cute Kid Quotes

3rd grade Ryan tells Mrs. Kuzma:

“Remember the day you were psychotic?”


Teaching “Social Skills” – involves 2 frameworks

Behavioral Social Skills- the traditional idea about what “social skills” are

- instructional methods typically include scripts, role plays, conversation strategies

Cognitive Social Skills – NEW framework to look at Social Skills!

- “Thinking” in a social manner! - perspective taking and self-monitoring to fit the

context - instructional methods emerge from cognitive-

behavioral strategies, video modeling, cooperative group activities


Kids with “Social Thinking”

challenges do not implicitly

learn social skills like other kids do. We need to

explicitly teach what is usually

implicitly learned by others.


How do Social Cognitive Deficits impact students?

Social SkillsEmotional SkillsAcademic SkillsBehavioral Skills

Organizational Skills


Impact on Social Skills

…expressing his opinions in class discussions.… showing tolerance for contrasting opinions of his classmates respectfully.…initiating work with a partner or enter a small group when the teacher requests students to do so independently.… understanding his role in cooperative group learning activities such as science labs, group projects, or book study circles.…interpreting non-verbal cues from the teacher during instruction.….understanding the impression he leaves with others.….showing interest in other people’s interests and experiences.

A student may have difficulty….


Impact on Emotional Skills

… showing tolerance for contrasting opinions of his classmates respectfully.…transitioning between activities independently.…calming himself if he becomes frustrated with his independent work.…expressing more abstract difficult feelings such as frustration, disappointment, embarrassment that may occur throughout the day.…with aspects of competitiveness – insists on winning or inflexible about rules.…with large emotional breakdowns to mild triggers – seem explosive or impulsive.



Impact on Academic Skills

….with reading comprehension, infering character’s emotions and intensions in literacy activities.….exploring the main idea of a topic, especially with fiction.….sorting out relevant details versus details that are interesting, but not the most important.….interpreting and using figurative language in fiction, poetry, etc.….understanding their role in group learning projects.



Impact on Behavioral Skills

…calming himself when he becomes agitated by unexpected peer responses.…getting started on his work during a student work time.…handling disappointment or feelings of being excluded when he is not called on immediately or chosen by peers for partner work.….adjusting to slight changes in behavior expectations as he transitions between different teachers with varying styles.….completing obligatory tasks not of their own liking.



Impact on Organization Skills

….. prioritizing steps to complete a multi-part assignment or long term project…keeping track of papers and class materials…turning in assignments that the child completed.… time management.



If you are….LOST…CONFUSED….. OVERWHELMED….. Consider teaching

some Social Cognitive principles first to lay the foundation to work on

other social skills.

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.


http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Check out the site for over 100 free downloads of PDF documents supporting all of these strategies!

Teaching Ideas Social SenseTalking & Thinking BubblesBrain and Body in the GroupFlexible ThinkingProblem ContinuumTransitionsSocial FilterZones of RegulationTattling Friend Files

Social Sense


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Your “Social Sense” “Social Smarts”

• Carol Gray’s lesson, but directed toward the target students

• Explain why they come for group or service

• Use as a “vocabulary cue” from then on


BubblesBut, be

careful! If you have hurtful words,

Don’t pop your thinking

bubble!

Talking BubblesWords that come out of my mouth

Public - other people can hear my talking bubble words

Talking bubble words can affect how other people feel

Thinking BubblesWords that I think inside my head

Private - no one can hear my talking bubble words

Talking bubble words are secret, so they cannot hurt other people’s feelings.

Created by Jill D. Kuzma 2/09

Talking and Thinking Bubbles

Over your head

Storybooks

Paused on the TV

22

Movie/TV Clip Analysis with BubblesPresent movie clips and ask the following perspective-taking questions: “How does ____ feel?” “How do you know he/she feels that way?” “What does ____ want?” “What does ____ really mean when he/she

said____”Example clips:

Saved by the Bell, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Survivor, Thomas the Tank Engine, Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Kuzma 8/2011 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Brain and Body in the Group

Targets: non-verbal cues associated with being perceived as part of a group, joint attention to the group topic, topic maintenancePlaydoh and post-it notesActivities: Playdoh balls, tiny playdoh brains & post-it note topics, role play “right & wrong” way, draw “right/wrong” with talking & thinking bubbles, generalize the vocabularySource: Michelle Garcia Winner, (2006) Think Social www.socialthinking.com

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Kuzma 8/2011 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Brain & Body in the Group

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The premise of SUPERFLEX….Uses a “Superhero” theme staring the main

character, “SUPERFLEX”! Along with his sidekick, “Bark”, SuperFlex guides the

children of “Social Town”, helping them to be flexible thinkers. SuperFlex strives to defeat his nemesis, “Rock Brain” and his team of “Unthinkables”. This villainous

team consists of 14 bad guys that

each represent a form of

inflexible social behaviors.

Being a Flexible Thinker

Introduction: “Look what I have…”


Not fun to play withHard, coldCould hurt someone

Fun to play withSquishy, flexibleCould use with other people

LINK: Kind of like friendships too..


Rock Thinkers

Think only about themselves

• Only 1 way to fix a problem

• No fun to play with. They are hard to talk to – like a rock! They can hurt feelings and friendships


Flexible Thinkers• Think about themselves AND

other people

• Find many ways to fix a problem

• Fun to play with!

• Accept other people’s ideas•Helpful to others

• Try new things


Rock and Flexible ThinkerRole Plays & Audience Voting Sticks


Read Aloud Books:

WALLACE’s LISTS (BOTNER & KRUGLIK)

BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES (R. HOBAN)

BEATRICE DOESN’T WANT TO (L. MUNSINGER)

LLAMA LLAMA MAD AT MAMA (A. DEWDNEY)

BEING SELFISH (“Help me Be Good” series – J BERRY

Book Discussion: What were the character’s Rock Thinking actions & Flexible Thinking actions? What was reason the character started being a more flexible thinker?) Make a T-chart


Wallace: Rock Thinking Actions

Wallace: Flexible Thinking Actions


Made with the Comic Life applicationInformation at:

www.comic-life.en.softonic.com

Application: “What was your Flexible Thinking moment today?”

Classroom Meeting time

Exit Slips

Dinnertime “Table Talk”

Check-in before small group lesson



Problem Continuu

mTeach about

matching intensity of emotional

reactions to the “size of

the problem”

Created by: Jill Kuzma, 1/2010 - http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com


Problem Continuu

m


Feeling Families

Feeling Families

•Happy

•Mad

•Sad

•Scared (includes worry & anxiety)


Emotion Teaching Ideas

Facial Feature GamesFeature Memory

gameEmotional Eye Identification


The Self-Talk Walk: Sportsmanship Feelings

This is an activity that kids can do before playing a game where sportsmanship behavior is an issue.Props: 6 sheets of brown paper cut into the shape of stepping stones. Write one of following statements on each “stone” “I’m playing to have fun.” “It’s okay if I do not win” “I will keep playing the game, even if I get behind.” “It’s okay to go 2nd or 3rd” “I am a flexible thinker” “This will be a fun game”

Place the stones in a line on the floor leading up to the game space. Students step on each stone and read the affirmation aloud as they enter the game space.

Teaching about Transitions

40Jill D Kuzma, M.A., CCC-SLP, http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com

Look at the student’s schedule and star the transition occurrences

Role play using each tool. Choose one difficult transition instance to try the tool with for a week, etc. Use self-eval formJill D Kuzma,


Jill D Kuzma, http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com


Social FilterWater filter analogy - traps the harmful dirt and

germs, so only the “good” stuff comes through the filter

Social Filter - traps the harmful words, so only kind words come through

Relate to “Don’t pop your thinking bubble!”


Social Filter

The Zones of Regulationteach students about self-regulation and controlling difficult emotions

by Leah Kuypers, M.A., Ed, OT/L. The “Zones of Regulation”, are described by the author as, “….. a systematic, cognitive behavior approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete zones. The Zones curriculum provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of, and independent in, controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts.”

This curriculum weaves principals from the field of sensory integration, use of the 5 Point Scale (Dunn-Buron & Curtis, www.5pointscale.com) and the principles of social cognition as described by the great Michelle Garcia Winner, (www.socialthinking.com).

Check out the website at: www.zonesofregulation.com – cost of curriculum is $42



The Social Skills Picture Book, Jed Baker

“Right Way” & “Wrong Way” Role Play

Topics include: Interrupting, Starting/Maintaining topic of conversation about the present/about the past, Ending a conversation, etc.

Book: My Mouth is a Volcano! (Julia Cook) - about Interrupting - MAR*CO Products

An Interrupting Visual Cue - two talking bubbles

colliding


Interrupting - Volcano


Conversation Menu

classroom snack time, lunchroom, or

dinner table. “Menu” format of

conversation topics

Outside

Inside

Tattling

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Tattling: The Tattle Tale Tongue (Julia Cook)

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Source: Michelle Garcia Winner (Think Social! 2006, www.socialthinking.com

File cabinet analogy about how we “store” and categorize information in our brains

Make friend files for kids in group, kids from gen ed class Continue to add to friend file Use for conversation starters with peers, avenue to find

things in common, etc.

Friend Files

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Relevant Research:Crooke, P.J., Hendrix, R.E., Rachman, J.Y., (2007) Brief Report: Measuring the Effectiveness of Teaching Social Thinking to Children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Online publication: DOI 10.1007/s10803-007-0466-1Garris, Laurie. (2007) Developing Pragmatic Language Use in Adolescents A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Special Education California State University, Los AngelesGarcia-Winner, Michelle (2008). A Politically Incorrect Look at Evidence-Based Practices and Teaching Social Skills. Social Thinking Publications, San Jose, CA. Miller, Amy C. (2002). The Double Interview Task: Assessing the Social Communication of Children with Asperger Syndrome A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the University of Kansas. A Case Series of Social Thinking Training of Mainstreamed Secondary School Students with High Functioning Autism. The Hong Kong Journal of Mental Health (2009) 35, 10-17


References Cited Book: Social Behavior Mapping, Michelle Garcia-Winner, 2007,

Think Social Publishing, San Jose, CA. Available on her website: www.socialthinking.com

Book:Think Social!,A Social-Thinking Curriculum for School Age Students. Michelle Garcia-Winner, 2005, Think Social Publishing, San Jose, CA. Available on her website: www.socialthinking.com

Book: SuperFlex! A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum, Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia-Winner, 2008, Think Social Publishing, San Jose, CA. Available at: www.socialthinking.com

Book: SuperFlex Takes on Glassman and the Team of Unthinkables! Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia-Winner, 2009, Think Social Publishing, San Jose, CA. Available at: www.socialthinking.com

Book: Activities for Group Work with School-Age Children. Susan Ciardiello, 2005, Marco Products.

“Socially Savvy & Emotionally Equipped”: Strategies to teach Social/Emotional Skills

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