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SOCIAL SKILLS PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

San Marino Unified School District

Originally Presented to Santa Monica/ Malibu Unified School District

Presented by: Andrea Escobar, Rachel Gaynon, and Allison Jones

Overview

  Discussion Questions   Defining social skills   Why are social skills important?   Different types of social skills   Strategies to build and improve social skills

Discussion Questions

  When you think of a student that you work with that lacks appropriate social behaviors?

  What skills in particular would you like to see him/her display?

  Why do you think some students lack the social skills needed to interact appropriately with others in the school setting?

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Social Skills Defined

  The set of skills people use to interact and communicate with one another

  Verbal and nonverbal cues that we depend on to navigate our way through all of our social interactions

  Social deficits are commonly seen in children with disabilities

(NASP, 2002)

Types of Social Skills

  COMMUNICATION   Takes turns in conversations   Makes eye contact when talking

  COOPERATION/COMPLIANCE   Follows your directions   Follows classroom rules

  ASSERTION   Asks for help from adults   Questions rules that may be unfair

  EMPATHY   Understands/relates to the emotions of

others   Connects with others

  ENGAGEMENT   Makes friends easily   Invites others to join in activities

  SELF-CONTROL   Makes a compromise during a conflict   Stays calm when teased

(NASP, 2002)

Why Build Social Skills?

  Consequences of well-developed social skills   Positive/Safe school environment   Child resilience in the face of future

crisis   Students who seep appropriate and

safe avenues for aggression and frustration

  Children who take personal responsibility for promoting school safety

  Necessary for making and keeping friends

  Can help avoid social isolation   Important for success in:

  School   Community activities   Vocational settings

(NASP, 2002)

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Why Build Social Skills? (Continued)

  Consequences of poor social skills   Difficulties in interpersonal

relationships with parents and peers

  Evoke highly negative responses for others that lead to high levels of peer rejection   Peer rejection has been linked to

school violence   Show signs of depression,

aggression, and anxiety   Poor academic performance as

an indirect consequence   High incidence of involvement in

the criminal justice system as adults.

(NASP, 2002)

Variables that Influence Social Skills

Identifying Social Deficits

  Difficulty performing a skill:  Due to lack of

knowledge  Acquisition deficit

 Consistency despite knowledge  Performance deficit

 To a sufficient degree or level of strength  Fluency Deficit

(NASP, 2002)

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Communication What it Looks Like

  Verbal Communication   Asking appropriate questions   Making appropriate

comments   Taking turns   Acknowledging change of

topic   Expressing feelings

  Nonverbal Communication   Facial expressions   Gestures   Eye contact   Body Language   Tone or pitch of voice

(NASP, 2002)

Communication How to Respond

  Engage students in conversation whenever possible   Make them aware of their

nonverbal behavior.   Use social scripts

  These provide pre-taught language for specific situations.

  Practice, practice, practice!   The more a student

practices, the more confident they will feel in social situations.

(NASP, 2002)

Communication How to Respond (Continued)

(NASP, 2002)

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Cooperation/Compliance What it Looks Like

  Primary noncompliance  Due to a lack of interest in

the task at hand   The result of a lack of

energy

  Secondary noncompliance  Chronic, learned response

to repeated failure  Avoidant behaviors to

escape.

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Cooperation/Compliance How to Respond

  Place preferred item on table.   Teacher instructs student to take

item   Provide feedback

  including labeling that the student listened/followed directions

  Provide prompting   Fade prompting as necessary

  Issue directions likely to be followed in different environments

  Progressively instructions should become more challenging   Emphasize the student is being a

good listener as feedback.

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Cooperation/Compliance How to Respond (Continued)

  Set up individualized reinforcement system

  Create a compliance hierarchy list

  Prepare student to begin the program

  “Hook the student in” and reinforce whenever appropriate.

  Gradually introduce the remaining tasks on the hierarchy over several sessions

(Greenbaum, 2001)

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Assertion What it Looks Like

  Defined: Self-expression through which one stands up for his or her own human rights without violating the basic human rights of others   Student does not ask for

help   Questions the rules   Speaking up forcefully   May not be acceptable or

caring response   Assertion is not always

appropriate.

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Assertion How to Respond

  Target the behavior, cognitive, and/or emotional components of the assertion

  Teach the student   What to say

  How to say it

  Role play

  Model appropriate behavior

  Assign homework of increasingly difficult social tasks and praise progress when appropriate

  Homework can include   Problem solving

  Self-Observe to achieve perspective

  Challenge the negative thoughts

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Empathy What it Looks Like

  Empathy defined: the ability to understand and relate to the emotions another person feels.   If students are able to

understand emotions of others, they act appropriately.

  Students with social difficulties may not be able to read emotions or understand how to react.

  Students with social difficulties are often unaware they share emotional states with others

(Greenbaum, 2001)

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Empathy How to Respond

  Label feelings for the students

  Model empathy   Let the student know you

have felt that way too   Talk about their feelings   Encourage the student to

see things from another person’s perspective

  Reinforce empathetic behavior

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Engagement What it Looks Like

  Difficulty with initiating and maintaining interactions.

  Becoming socially withdrawn

  Does not establish lasting, meaningful friendships

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Engagement How to Respond

  Phase 1: Build interest and engagement

  Phase 2: Enhance interest and engagement

  Phase 3: Group of peers

(Greenbaum, 2001)

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Self Control What it Looks Like

  Distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity   Problems focusing and maintaining

attention   Passive learners   Discouragement; low self-esteem   Fear of Failure   Learned helplessness   Easily frustrated   Poor time management and organization   Procrastination   Poor study skills   Poor planning   Poor listening skills   Loses important papers   Late to class   Denial

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Self Control How to Respond

  Provide a learning environment conducive to self management   Provide structure and predictability   Reward students for effort and

progress   Organize the physical environment to

remove distractions   Teach learning and thinking strategies

  Teach and model positive self talk and visualization "Do as I do."

  Reinforcement and contracting   Integrate self-control skills and

strategies in everything you teach.

(Greenbaum, 2001)

Thank you! Any questions?