White Board Words and Thoughts: Strategies to Make Social Thinking a Capitol Idea!
Patricia Schetter & Kandis Lighthall Autism and Behavior Training Associates www.autismandbehavior.com CARS+ 2011, Sacramento, CA ABTA '11
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Identify Social Thinking Issues You Have Observed in Students • In small groups generate a list of at least 3 issues you have observed and write them down • Be prepared to share your ideas ABTA '11
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Who Are We Talking About? • • • • •
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Non-verbal Learning Disorders (NVLD) ADD/ADHD Tourette’s Syndrome Some with the label “Emotionally Disturbed” • Some individuals without an identified disorder ABTA '11
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Why Consider Social Thinking Skills? Social Skills Happen Everywhere!!!
“ A person needs to be able to relate affectively before he can grow cognitively.� Dr. Stanley Greenspan ABTA '11
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A Lack of Social Thinking Skills May Result In: For Students – Lower achievement in school – Less interaction with peers and fewer friends – More restrictive environments
For Adults – Fewer employment opportunities – Fewer friends and interactions with others – Interactions with people other than family members is short term – Paid staff may be the only outside relationships ABTA '11
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Capitol Goals for Teaching Social Thinking Skills I am glad I learned how important it is to directly teach the social thinking skills they need in many environments.
• Develop an understanding of Theory of Mind & Social Thinking • Learn a variety of easy strategies that apply to daily life and academics ABTA '11
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Overlap of Executive and Social Thinking Differences • Both have a neuro-biological basis. • May involve same brain regions or connection between regions which have been demonstrated in Functional MRI to be affected in ASD. • Both require the ability to use sequential thinking and predict outcomes of actions.
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Social Thinking Differences • Lack or Delay in Theory of Mind Results In An Inability To: – Infer other people’s beliefs, thoughts, desires, intentions, feelings and recognize that they may differ from theirs – Interpret what others say – Make sense of the behavior of others – Predict what others will do next Research shows by age 3-4 years of age the Neurotypical child has a well developed ToM ABTA '11
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Sally-Anne Test (Baron-Cohn, Leslie and Frith 1985)
Purpose • Test Theory of Mind (ToM) – The ability to consider our own and another’s thoughts, moods, emotions, motive and intentions
I’m having fun, but he is upset . He has been waiting. I should give him a turn.
I can’t wait. Doesn’t she know I want a turn, too?
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Strategies for Understanding Perspective • Teach recognition of their own emotions. • Teach recognition of the emotions of others and what to expect in those emotional states • Explore rule based social skills (e.g. turn taking, asking questions) • Teach students to learn the likes and dislikes of others • Teach reading comprehension through the changing perspectives of characters in books ABTA '11
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Capitol Ideas! Strategies for Social Thinking • Teaching Children to Mind-Read: A Practical Guide – Children with ASD; age 4-13; language age of 5 years – Howlin, Baron-Cohen, & Hadwin,1999 • Navigating the Social World – Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High functioning Autism (HFA); basic learner – late adolescences – Jeannette McAfee, 2002 • The Incredible 5 Point Scale – Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High functioning Autism (HFA); Kg - Adult – Dunn Buron & Curtis, 2003 ABTA '11
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Capitol Ideas! Strategies for Social Thinking • Comic Strip Conversations – Carol Gray, Comic Strip Conversations, 1999
• White Board Words and Thoughts – Kandis Lighthall & Patricia Schetter, White Board Words and Thoughts Idea Booklet, 2008
• Thinking Tools – Patricia Schetter, Learning the R.O.P.E.S. for Improved Executive Function, 2003, 2008 ABTA '11
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Comic Strip Conversation is... • Between two or more people • Uses simple line drawings – 8 symbols to represent basic conversation skills
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Illustrates an ongoing communication Supports comprehension Emphasizes what people may be thinking Helpful in teaching emotional content with the use of color Comic Strip Conversations, (1999) Carol Gray ABTA '11
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Getting Started with Comic Strip Conversations I am glad to see Sara today. Maybe we can play.
Hi Sara!
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I’m on an island.
I’m on an island.
Hi Mike
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Comic Strip Conversations Colors • • • • • • • •
GREEN: good ideas, happy, friendly RED: bad ideas, teasing, anger, unfriendly BLUE: sad, uncomfortable PURPLE: proud YELLOW: frightened BLACK: facts, things that we know ORANGE: questions COMBINATIONS OF COLORS: confused
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White Board Words & Thoughts Personalized Color Palate
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Blurting Out Answers
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Tell me what you see. I see a dog.
I see a boy.
Road Suitcase
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Pair Share • Find out 3 things about your partner. Do you like to play soccer?
What is your favorite food?
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Rehearsing Asking for a Date
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Feelings of Characters What is the hero feeling now? Proud! He won the race.
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Reflective: Interpreting Tone of Voice
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“Thinking Tools” An Approach for Teaching Social Thinking and Understanding Learning the R.O.P.E.S. for Improved Executive Function, Patricia Schetter
Symbols/ Colors from Comic Strip Conversations
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Graphic Organizers to provide a visual formula
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“Thinking Tools”
A perfect combination!
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Thinking Tool: What Do We Have In Common? About Me
About You
Boy
Girl CSI Horses Scrabble
KFC
Andy Griffith Show
Football
Parrots
Blue
Plunks Pond ABTA '11
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4th Grade Class Activity
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The Basic “Thinking Tool” Situation:
I was walking down the hall and saw you Coming.
Action:
Outcome:
Hello You looked up, but did not say a thing and walked away.
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He must be mad at me.
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Look up and don’t say anything Walking down the hall and see someone you know
He must be mad at me
Hi Look up, smile and say “Hi” ABTA '11
He is such a nice boy
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Thinking Tool for Evaluating & Resolving Problematic Behavior Describe the behavior that was not appropriate:
Yelling out the answer.
Describe the situation that led to your behavior:
Describe your thoughts and feelings: I was anxious because I knew the answer, but was afraid I would not be called on.
Describe the outcome of your behavior
Teacher had me move a card, other kids got mad at me.
In class, teacher asked if anyone knew the answer to a question about space exploration. Describe better ways to deal with the situation : I should raise my hand, look directly at the teacher, and wait to be called on. If I am afraid I will forget the answer, I can write it down then raise my hand.
More appropriate self -talk: I should tell myself it is okay for others to have a turn to say the answer sometimes.
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Describe the likely outcome if you had chosen better actions:
I would not have had to pull a card. Other kids would not be mad at me.
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Thinking Tool for Choice Making and Mental Flexibility Possible Action: Do not come to school that week. Do home study instead.
Likely Outcome: Avoid stress, get work done. Not see friends or play chess.
Situation: Math teacher will be gone for a week and a substitute teacher will be here.
Possible Action: Stay in resource room for that period.
Possible Action: Go to math and do the best I can.
Likely Outcome: Avoid stress, get work done. See friends and play chess.
Likely Outcome: High level of stress, poor work performance, possible meltdown.
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Thinking Tool for Novel Situations Action Taken:
Old Situation
School Assembly
Entered after group, sat near door, took frequent breaks outside, left 5 minutes early.
(+ or - ) Outcome (+) I was successfully able to attend the assembly.
Loud, sitting, people Attend play with Girlfriend New Situation
New Action:
Arrive just prior to curtain time, purchase seats near exit, take frequent breaks, leave just prior to end to “hail ABTA '11 the taxi.�
Likely Outcome: (+) I will be able to successfully attend a play with my girlfriend.
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With a lot of practice and guidance using the VISUAL “Thinking Tools” look what starts to happen!!! ABTA '11
I get it!!!!
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A Critical Point to Remember All social thinking issues with the central impairment of “perspective taking”, not only affects a person’s ability to make and keep friends, but also the ability to work in the classroom and in future work environments
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Social awareness cannot be taught with a single textbook so that when you get to the last page you can be “educated�. This is a book that has no last page!
Teaching Social Thinking is a Dr. Temple Grandin Idea! Capitol Social thinking must be intentionally taught.
Use visual to teach the abstract
Working as a team we can make a difference.
Appropriate social behaviors improve quality of life. ABTA '11
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Reference & Resources • Baker, J. (2001). The Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching play, emotion and communication to children with autism. Arlington TX: Future Horizons, Inc. www.FutureHorizons-autism.com • Buron, K. and Curtis, M. (2003). The Incredible 5-Point Scale. Shawnee Mission, KA: Autism Asperger Publishing Co. • Garcia Winner, Michelle, Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School Age Students (2005). www.socialthinking.com • Gray, Carol. (1994). Comic Strip Conversations. Arlington TX: Future Horizons, Inc. www.FutureHorizonsautism.com ABTA '11 36
• Howlin, P., Baron-Cohen, S. and Hadwin, J, (1999). Teaching Children with Autism to Mind Read: A Practical Guide. West Sussex, England. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. • Lighthall, K. & Schetter, P. White Board Words and Thoughts Idea Booklet and Activity Pack (2008) • McAfee, J. Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism (2003). Future Horizons • Schetter, P. Learning the R.O.P.E.S for Improved Executive Function (2004, 2008). ABTA Publications and Products www.autismandbehavior.com • Schetter, P. & Lighthall, K. “Thinking Tool” Kit Activity Pack (2010) ABTA '11
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