Social Development and ASD Students

Rosemary Cullain Ph.D.

Typical Social Development

Level 1: Tuning In» (Birth)

– Emotional Attunement

– Social Referencing– Excitement Sharing– Simple Games

ASD Social Development

Problems with emotional attunement

And become overwhelmed by stimulation.

Seldom view their parents as sources of meaning in their world.

Seldom initiate joint attention Not competent in excitement sharing

Typical Social Development

Level 2: Learning to Dance

» (6 months)

– Learns rules, roles, structures of experience sharing.

– Variety – Synchronized actions– Observing and

regulating to coordinate

ASD Social Development

• Rules, roles, and structures are not fluid.

Individuals with ASD perceive social fluidity not as potential sources of joy and excitement but as overwhelming foreign environments.

Typical Social Development

Level 3: Improvising and Co-Creating

» (one year)

– Constant Co-variation

– Fluid Transitions– Improvisation– Co-Creation

ASD Social Development

ASD more comfortable with static systems than with fluid systems

Improvising and co creating are part of a fluid social system

Systems that don’t rely on specific rules, sequences and a clear outcome are meaningless for ASD individuals.

Typical Social Development

Level 4: Sharing Outside Worlds

» (18 months)

– Perception Sharing– Perspective Taking– Unique Reactions– Adding Imagination

ASD Social Development

Difficulties with– Understanding other’s perceptions

(Theory of Mind)– Different reactions to events, places, or

people.– Imaginative play, or thoughts

Typical Social Development

Level 5: Discovering Inside Worlds

» (30 months)

Sharing Ideas Enjoying Differences The Inside and

Outside Worlds Primacy of Minds

ASD Social Development

Enjoyment not obtained by sharing or integrating ideas with a social partner.

Intolerant of different ideas or themes in social interaction

Can’t view internal reactions as different than external reactions

Experience sharing very hard

Typical Social Development

Level 6: Binding Selves to Others

» (48 months and older)

Unique Selves Belonging to Groups Pals and Playmates Enduring Friendships

ASD Social Development

Do not see meaning in relating to others to better define self

Membership in groups is not enjoyable

More comfortable to play alone than to try to play with others

Seldom have enduring friendships

Assessment of Social Development Most children with ASD are missing

critical parts of skills in Level l There are clinical programs to assist with

directly teaching these missing parts (RDI) In school more important to recognize

how their social development is different Plan social demands around those

differences and teach when you can

Level One Example

Teach child to visually scan adult actions and reactions (use video)

Teach child to reference adults when uncertain or anxious

Teach visual cues that child can recognize as a sign to shift attention

Teach simple games and model excitement for the child to imitate.

Level 2 Example

Teach child to carry out coordinated interactions

Teach child to perform his role in a coordinated interaction

Teach child to time himself to coordinate this interaction

Teach regulating in a social interaction. Teach methods to communicate to

maintain coordination in social interaction

Level Three Example

Multi step level involving:– Co-variation (novelty)– Fluid transitions – Improvising – Co creation

Level 3 Teaching Ideas

Teach how to enjoy things that are new. (Co-variation)

Use chained activities that culminate in a single activity (Fluid Transitions)

Teach how to collaborate with a group (Improvised Actions)

INVOLVE THE CHILD IN A GROUP

Level 4 Teaching Ideas

Multi step level involving: Joint attention Perspective Taking Unique Reactions Imagination

Teaching Ideas for Level 4

Provide opportunities for child to practice visual and/or verbal sharing with his peers. (joint attention)

Facilitate interaction for the child to seek out differences between his and a social partner’s perceptions. (perspective taking)

Sample Activities

Level 1: Turn Taking Games Level 2: Mirror Games Level 3: Cooperative Games Level 4: “Sharing” Games

Learning Objective Review

1. Learn typical social development levels

2. Learn differences in ASD social development

3. Learn teaching ideas for each level

4. Learn sample activities for each level.

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