Contemporary ABA and Contemporary ABA and Social Skills: The Heart of Social Skills: The Heart of

the Matterthe Matter

WHY?WHY?• CORE DEFICIT IN AUTISMCORE DEFICIT IN AUTISM• MUCH OF WHAT OUR WORLD IS MUCH OF WHAT OUR WORLD IS

ABOUTABOUT• INSUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSEDINSUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED

– Why?Why?

• OFTEN RESIDUAL PROBLEMOFTEN RESIDUAL PROBLEM• EXPOSURE AND GUIDANCE NOT EXPOSURE AND GUIDANCE NOT

ENOUGHENOUGH• NO MAGIC SOLUTIONSNO MAGIC SOLUTIONS

OTHER APPROACHESOTHER APPROACHES

• Floor TimeFloor Time• RDIRDI• Social StoriesSocial Stories• ScriptingScripting• ““Cognitive” ApproachesCognitive” Approaches• Experiences and ExposureExperiences and Exposure

ABA’S APPROACHABA’S APPROACH

• Eye Contact, Greetings, and Eye Contact, Greetings, and HandshakesHandshakes

• The Joint Attention ExampleThe Joint Attention Example• Social Programming Often Listed Social Programming Often Listed

OutsideOutside

Typical Social Typical Social DevelopmentDevelopment

• The Value of Social and the Need to The Value of Social and the Need to AffiliateAffiliate

• Social LearningSocial Learning• Trial and ErrorTrial and Error

– Field of TriesField of Tries– Error and SuccessError and Success

• Why This Doesn’t Work in AutismWhy This Doesn’t Work in Autism

HOW?HOW?• Capture of Essence, Intent, and Capture of Essence, Intent, and

SpiritSpirit

• Developed the Way Social Skills Are Developed the Way Social Skills Are and Can Be Learnedand Can Be Learned

• Developed the Way Individuals with Developed the Way Individuals with Autism need to LearnAutism need to Learn

HOW?HOW?• NO COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULANO COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULA

– ELUSIVENESSELUSIVENESS– BREADTH OF NEEDSBREADTH OF NEEDS– INDIVIDUALIZED NATUREINDIVIDUALIZED NATURE

• SOCIAL SKILLS TAXONOMYSOCIAL SKILLS TAXONOMY– WAY TO ORGANIZEWAY TO ORGANIZE– GUIDES INTERVENTIONGUIDES INTERVENTION– RESEARCH SUPPORTRESEARCH SUPPORT

HOW?HOW?SOCIAL SKILLS TAXONOMYSOCIAL SKILLS TAXONOMY• SOCIAL AWARENESSSOCIAL AWARENESS• SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONSOCIAL COMMUNICATION• SOCIAL INTERACTIONSOCIAL INTERACTION• SOCIAL LEARNINGSOCIAL LEARNING• SOCIAL RELATEDNESSSOCIAL RELATEDNESS

• Not mutually exclusiveNot mutually exclusive• Early, Intermediate, & Advanced in Early, Intermediate, & Advanced in

EachEach

SOCIAL SOCIAL AWARENESSAWARENESS

• Identifying Significant OthersIdentifying Significant Others• Relationship DiscriminationRelationship Discrimination• GesturesGestures• Impact of Behavior on OthersImpact of Behavior on Others• InferencesInferences• JokesJokes• Perspective Taking (Theory of Mind)Perspective Taking (Theory of Mind)

SOCIAL SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

• Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Conv (W in P)Basic, Intermediate, Advanced Conv (W in P)• Inflection PatternInflection Pattern• Giving Compliments/FeedbackGiving Compliments/Feedback• Acknowledging points/messageAcknowledging points/message• InterruptingInterrupting• Expressing FeelingsExpressing Feelings• Conversational RepairConversational Repair• ApologizingApologizing• Maintaining or Changing Conv FlowMaintaining or Changing Conv Flow• Implying/Subtleness/HintsImplying/Subtleness/Hints• Joke ProvisionJoke Provision• Arguing/Discussing/PersuasionArguing/Discussing/Persuasion

SOCIAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONINTERACTION

• Comfortable ProximityComfortable Proximity• Responding to Other’s InitiationsResponding to Other’s Initiations• Attention SeekingAttention Seeking• Initiating/Maintaining InteractionsInitiating/Maintaining Interactions• Being a Good SportBeing a Good Sport• Interactional ReciprocityInteractional Reciprocity• Responding to CuesResponding to Cues• HelpingHelping• AssertionAssertion• SharingSharing• NegotiationNegotiation• Decision Making/Problem Solving/CopingDecision Making/Problem Solving/Coping

SOCIAL LEARNINGSOCIAL LEARNING• ImitationImitation• Observational LearningObservational Learning• Vicarious LearningVicarious Learning• Incidental LearningIncidental Learning• Flow of Group Social PlayFlow of Group Social Play• Information SeekingInformation Seeking• Group EffectsGroup Effects• Peer Culture InfluencePeer Culture Influence• Screening Negative InfluencesScreening Negative Influences

SOCIAL SOCIAL RELATEDNESSRELATEDNESS

• Desire for Proximity/Social Reinf ValueDesire for Proximity/Social Reinf Value• Joint AttentionJoint Attention• EngagementEngagement• Desire for Approval/AcceptanceDesire for Approval/Acceptance• Attachments FriendshipsAttachments Friendships• Interpersonal Reciprocity/Being a Good Interpersonal Reciprocity/Being a Good

FriendFriend• Empathy/Compassion/Caring/AltruismEmpathy/Compassion/Caring/Altruism

ESSENCE, INTENT, AND ESSENCE, INTENT, AND AUTHENTICITYAUTHENTICITY

• How Do You Capture These?How Do You Capture These?• The Failure of PromptsThe Failure of Prompts• The Lesson of Communication The Lesson of Communication

TemptationsTemptations• Remembering Natural ReasonsRemembering Natural Reasons• An Empathy ExampleAn Empathy Example• Along with Necessary Teaching and Along with Necessary Teaching and

ProgrammingProgramming

How?How?**

• Instructional ContentInstructional Content• Curriculum DevelopmentCurriculum Development• Instructional TechniquesInstructional Techniques• Social Skill GroupsSocial Skill Groups• Social Skill and Friendship Building Social Skill and Friendship Building

Strategies and OpportunitiesStrategies and Opportunities

**Remembering meaningfulness, Remembering meaningfulness, essence, and essence, and authenticity authenticity

Some Areas CoveredSome Areas CoveredTeaching Interactions

Social Skills Groups

Friendships

Adolescence

Social Skill Assessment

Guidelines for Creating Curricula

The Taxonomy Further Explained

…..and A Social Skills Curriculum

HOW—INSTRUCTIONAL HOW—INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUESTECHNIQUES

• Discrete Trial TeachingDiscrete Trial Teaching– Must include Programming for GeneralizationMust include Programming for Generalization

• Teaching InteractionsTeaching Interactions

TEACHING TEACHING INTERACTIONSINTERACTIONS

• Initiation and LabelingInitiation and Labeling• RationaleRationale• Description/DemonstrationDescription/Demonstration• PracticePractice• FeedbackFeedback• Consequence *Consequence *

INSTRUCTIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTSCOMPONENTS

• Actual Teaching InteractionActual Teaching Interaction• Discrimination TrainingDiscrimination Training

DISCRIMINATION DISCRIMINATION TRAININGTRAINING

– Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Versions of SkillsVersions of Skills

– Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Versions of Elements of SkillsVersions of Elements of Skills

– Discriminations Necessary for Skill Discriminations Necessary for Skill AlternativesAlternatives

INSTRUCTIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTSCOMPONENTS

• Actual Teaching InteractionActual Teaching Interaction• Discrimination TrainingDiscrimination Training• Generalization TrainingGeneralization Training

GENERALIZATION GENERALIZATION TRAININGTRAINING

– LocationLocation– PeoplePeople– TimeTime– ProvocativenessProvocativeness– PredictabilityPredictability– AuthenticityAuthenticity

How--The ProcessHow--The Process

• AssessAssess• Develop Meaningful, Individualized Develop Meaningful, Individualized

Targets/CurriculumTargets/Curriculum• Develop Authentic, Natural Develop Authentic, Natural

Targets/CurriculumTargets/Curriculum• Facilitate Social Interest and Desire Facilitate Social Interest and Desire

as Necessary and to Extent Possibleas Necessary and to Extent Possible

How--The Process..cont.How--The Process..cont.

• Systematically Teach Authentic Social Systematically Teach Authentic Social Competencies While Capturing Social Competencies While Capturing Social Meaning, Essence, and Intent Meaning, Essence, and Intent (whenever possible)(whenever possible)

• Systematically Transfer Competencies Systematically Transfer Competencies Into Everyday Social LifeInto Everyday Social Life

• Teach Essential Relationship and Teach Essential Relationship and Friendship Skills and Facilitate Social Friendship Skills and Facilitate Social Relationship DevelopmentRelationship Development

Where—The ProcessWhere—The Process

• EverywhereEverywhere– HomeHome– SchoolSchool– CommunityCommunity

• Individual and GroupIndividual and Group• Concentrated and ImbeddedConcentrated and Imbedded• Natural and ContrivedNatural and Contrived

– Social Events and OpportunitiesSocial Events and Opportunities– Play DatesPlay Dates– Social Skills GroupsSocial Skills Groups

HOW– A FEW WORDS HOW– A FEW WORDS ABOUT SOCIAL SKILLS ABOUT SOCIAL SKILLS

GROUPSGROUPS• What They Typically Offer:What They Typically Offer:

– Opening RoutineOpening Routine– Social LessonsSocial Lessons– Social ExerciseSocial Exercise– Social ActivitySocial Activity

SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPSSOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS

• What They Should Offer:What They Should Offer:– Individual AssessmentIndividual Assessment– Individual Instructional Content (and Individual Instructional Content (and

Methods?)Methods?)– Trained Staff & Systematic ProgrammingTrained Staff & Systematic Programming– Active, Experiential LearningActive, Experiential Learning– Clarity of ObjectivesClarity of Objectives– Diminishing Role of the AdultDiminishing Role of the Adult– Spread the Work, Facilitate TransferSpread the Work, Facilitate Transfer

Friendships—How Do Friendships—How Do You Know?You Know?

• PreferencePreference• GravitationGravitation• Spontaneous InitiationSpontaneous Initiation• AnticipationAnticipation• UniquenessUniqueness• ReciprocityReciprocity