Thoughts from an adult with

Aspergers (Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison)

Teaching Social Interaction My conversational difficulties highlight a

Skills to Students with ASD problems Aspergians face every day. A
person with an obvious disability-for
example, someone in a wheelchair-is
treated compassionately because his
handicap is obvious. No one turns to a guy
in a wheelchair and says “Quick! Let’s run
across the street!” And when he can’t run
across the street, no one says, “What’s his
problem?” They offer to help him across
the street.
Presented by the MNPS Autism Team

Thoughts continued… Why be Concerned?!?!

With me, though, there is no external 70% of people with
sign that I am conversationally
handicapped. So folks hear some Autism are unemployed
conversational misstep and say “What
an arrogant jerk!” I look forward to The higher the
the day when my handicap will afford functioning, the higher
me the same respect accorded to a
guy in a wheelchair. And if the the unemployment!
respect comes with a preferred
parking space, I won’t turn it down. (Belini, 2007)

Objectives Social Interaction Skills

1. to understand the common social
By definition (Gresham & Elliot, 1995)

difficulties associated with autism
Socially acceptable learned behaviors
that enable a person to interact with
2. to understand an appropriate means
others in ways that elicit positive
of evaluating social skills responses and assist in avoiding negative
3. gain ideas for using these responses.
interventions in classroom
activities/groups

1
 Autism Documentary

Social Interaction Skills

Early Social Skills Joint Attention

Turn taking
Sharing affect ability to share
attention with another

Eye contact
Proximity person while both are

Sharing
Following simple paying attention to

Parallel play commands the same object

Cooperative play
Responding

Can be gestural or

Imitation
Rejecting
conversational

Joint attention: appropriately
gestural and
Requesting help
communicative

Later Social Skills

Empathy
Comments

Compliments
Feelings

Sharing interests
Community rules

Interpreting and using
Self monitoring
facial expressions
Critical thinking

Initiate, terminate, and
Dating/sexual etiquette
maintain interactions
Grooming

Conversation topics and
Respecting authority
amount of info

Problem solving

Lacks tact: appears rude
or naïve
Difficulty understanding
jokes

Interpreting figurative
language,
Social anxiety and
withdraw

2
 Consequences of Poor Social Skills: 70% of
Understanding why this happens those on the spectrum are unemployed

Repetitiveness and restricted interests

Interpret literally
Poor Academic Performance

Theory of Mind: difficulty understanding
Peer Failure
another person’s perspective or that they
Rejection
have thoughts and feelings different from
Isolation
their own
Anxiety

Difficulty imitating
Depression

Difficulty problem solving
Substance Abuse

Pragmatics: form (syntax, morphology,
Suicidal Thoughts
phonology) and content (semantic) encodes
Violence Towards Self Bellini/2007
differently in ASD from early interactions or others.

Activity 1

Stand Up!!

What were the communication

difficulties you experienced?

Social Interaction Skills

Evaluation and Planning

Pragmatic Assessments Pragmatic Assessment

Formal Assessments Informal Assessment

Test of Pragmatic Language
Language Sample

Clinical Evaluation of Language
Observations:
Fundamentals: Pragmatic Profile
Parent/Teacher Report

Social Emotional Evaluation
Social Language Checklist

Pragmatics Language Skills Inventory

Comprehensive Assessment of
Spoken Language

Social Skills Rating system

3
 Informal Assessment
Informal Assessment: Observations What is keeping the student from establishing and
What are you looking for? maintaining social relationships?

Proximity: appropriate space • Rate social competence: interviews and rating scales

Object/body use • Take date: during recess observe # of social initiations,
# of social responses, and amount of social engagement

Requests
time

Initiations • Conversations skills: Initiations, responses, maintenance,

Responses closure of social interactions (various settings)

Behaviors: do they interfere • Cooperative play skills: joining in, taking turns, sharing,

Transitions losing, games
• Friendship skills: proximity, appropriate topics, helping,

Participation in routine or novel situations
rules, bullies, grooming
• Emotions: understanding emotions, problem solving skills
• Empathy
• Conflicts: anger, respect, NO,

www.cpsinstitute.org Determine: Skill Acquisition

Deficit or Performance Deficit
PATHWAYS INVENTORY (Rev. 6/23/07)

Child's Name ___________________________ Date _______

Difficulty handling transitions, shifting from one mindset or task to another (shifting cognitive set)
___
___
___
Difficulty doing things in a logical sequence or prescribed order
Poor sense of time

Skill Acquisition Deficit: skill is absent
___ Difficulty reflecting on multiple thoughts or ideas simultaneously (will need to teach)
___ Difficulty maintaining focus for goal-directed problem-solving
___ Difficulty considering the likely outcomes or consequences of actions (impulsive)
___ Difficulty considering a range of solutions to a problem
___ Difficulty expressing concerns, needs, or thoughts in words
Performance Deficit: skill is in repertoire
___ Difficulty understanding what is being said
but the child does not use the skills
___ Difficulty managing emotional response to frustration so as to think rationally (separation of affect)
___ Chronic irritability and/or anxiety significantly impede capacity for problem-solving (enhance performance)
___ Difficulty seeing the “grays”/concrete, literal, black-and-white, thinking
___ Difficulty deviating from rules, routine, original plan
___
___
Difficulty handling unpredictability, ambiguity, uncertainty, novelty
Difficulty shifting from original idea or solution/difficulty adapting to changes in plan or new rules/possibly preservative or obsessive
Can the student do the skill with different
___ Difficulty taking into account situational factors that would suggest the need to adjust a plan of action people in different settings?

What if you are thinking…?

I don’t think I should modify or make excuses for
these kids. I know they can do it!

Saying that they know how to do

something is only DECLARATIVE
Being able to say how to do
KNOWLEDGE.

I can teach mostly anyone the it doesn’t mean you can do
facts necessary to learn how
drive a stick shift car. But,
Doing Thinking
it!
being able to say how to do
something does not mean you
can do it.

We can bridge the gap

What often keeps a child from
being successful are skills we
with visual support,
often do not teach… Feeling practice, and meaningful
It’s a continuum that requires
activities


PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE.
Bellini/2007

4
 How to start planning and begin
Goal Selection
instruction?
5 Steps
Goals should be functional and

Identify and assess areas of need applicable to success in life

Discern between skill acquisition
Ensure goals are appropriate for
deficits and performance deficits cognitive levels

Select appropriate intervention
Goals should be positive
strategies

Goals should be realistic and

Implement intervention strategies
represent a challenge

Evaluate program and modify as
needed
Set criteria based on baseline data
*Source: Bellini, 2007

The Hidden Curriculum

by Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa L. Trautman, and
Teachers Hidden Curriculum
Ronda L. Schelvan

Refers to the set of rules that everyone
Teacher Expectations

in the school knows, but that no one has
What students should do when the bell
been directly taught: rings

How to dress

How to travel from class to class in the

What type of backpack to carry
most direct way.

How to greet a peer

Where to hang out between classes
The administrative structure.

What games are acceptable to play
Which teachers will tolerate lateness

Who to ignore

Which teachers give homework.

Others?

Which teachers place value on final
exams.

Some more thoughts from

John
Many descriptions of autism and
Asperger’s describe people like as “not
wanting to contact with others” or
“preferring to play alone.” I played by
myself because I was a failure at playing
with others. I was alone as a result of my
own limitations, and being alone was one of
my bitterest disappointments of my young
life. The sting of those early failures
Social Interaction Skills followed me long into adulthood, even
Understanding and Decreasing Anxiety after I learned about
Look me Asperger’s.
in the Eye by John Elder
Robison

5
 Some more thoughts on
Anxiety
by Jerry Newport Your Life Is Not a Label
“As far back as I remember, I was like a little bird
on a wire, ready to flee from the next
embarrassment at a moment’s notice. No matter
Fear and Anxiety are
how hard I tried to obey all the rules, spoken by
parents with frustration and siblings with
common feelings for people
sarcasm, I knew I would eventually screw up and
tread water in another sea of laughter. with ASD.
So, my stress and perhaps yours, came from many
sources: frustration, neurological overload, and
social humiliation to name a few.
There is nothing more frustrating than the lifelong
accumulation of scars that result from trying to
be like normal people and failing daily. It is
especially hard when your disability is invisible
like mine.”

Stress in Persons’ with Set up your classroom to

Asperger’s increase relaxation
1. Be mindful of stress in your students
Aggression
Verbal / physical 2. Establish a relationship with your students so
they can come to you for help and support
Withdrawal / Shut down 3. Create means to cope within the classroom
(break area, yoga, system for help, organize
areas, visual supports)
Increased Obsession 4. Incorporate social skills in lessons, centers, as a
designated area in the classroom, bulletin
Increased Stress / Anxiety boards
5. Facilitate relationships in your classroom
Anxiety through character building activities
6. Celebrate uniqueness often
Triggers Atwood, 1999

5 Point Scale
Kari Buron and Mitzi Curtis
Examples
tool which provides a visual representation
of stressors, inappropriate behaviors,
rules, etc..

Allows children the ability to connect

internal issues to a visual support

Encourages problem solving, self monitoring

and independence in resolving issues

www.5pointscale.com

6
 Developing a Plan Relaxation Plans

Identify stressors 1. Help students regulate stress- teach

Recognize student to request a break, include
behaviors leading breaks in schedule, create break area
up to aggression or in classroom, coping strategies
shut down specific to situations

Create supports, 2. Use self-monitoring- 5 point scale,
area, or a plan with checklists, power cards
the student 3.Tension release and breathing
exercises – yoga, deep breathing
cards,

“In the public school setting, children with

autism are often integrated into the general
education classroom with the hope that social
skills will be absorbed through proximity to
“normal” socialization.” “Instead, direct
instruction of specific skills combined with an
awareness of appropriate models is required.”

Social Interaction Skills “The Effectiveness of an Interview Template in Children with Autism: Structured Peer Interview to Facilitate Peer-
peer Interactions” Crooke, Pamela J. (2005)

Intervention Strategies

Why is this important? Promote Skill Acquisition

Teaching social skills should become a
Role-playing
Incidental

Teach perspective Teaching
priority in our classrooms

taking, social rules,
Sabotage

Decreases anxiety problem solving, and

Power Cards
mind reading

Encourages relationships and support
Structured

Discrete trial
through peers and teachers Teaching

Reciprocal strategies

Self-Monitoring

Allows for problem solving directly in
Social narratives

Prompting
the classroom
Social Skills Picture
Stories
Video modeling

Cartooning

7
 Role-Playing: acting out and
Role-Play practicing newly learned skills
The students act out the skills in the appropriate Teaching students to:
order.
1. Read nonverbal cues
The teacher acts as a hands on coach. 2. Conversation skills
3. Social rules (interrupting, eye
Use scripted and unscripted
contact, gaining attention, amount
Keep it fun
of information, etc…)
4. Sequence interactions
Let the students pick scenarios or practice use
units from class readings or other subjects

Conversation Skills Teaching Nonverbal Cues

Conversation webs
Explain importance and use of gestures (cartoons

with volume down, magazine pictures, charades
(www.do2learn.com)
Teach understanding and interpretation of facial

break down skills into individual expressions (start with cartoons, then move to
photos as line drawings are easier for children
pieces as needed: initiation, turn with ASD to identify, magazines, software,
taking, appropriate topics, endings websites www.cccoe.net/social)

Teach tone, volume, proximity (5 point scale,
using visual supports videos, tapes, etc…)

Comments: Appropriate vs.
Later social skills will need to focus on conduct
with the opposite sex, rules at work, etc….
inappropriate

Specific skills to Target during Specific skills to Target during

Role-Play Role-Play

Gaining/Securing Attention: indirectly requests attention or
Complimenting: child reinforces a peer for winning a game
acknowledgment from peers (e.g., “Hey!”, “See this?”, (e.g., “You did it!”), reinforces peer for personal
“Look.”), calls a peer’s name, taps peer on the shoulder, performance (e.g. “nice try.”)
Greetings, Inviting others to play

Requests for Actions/Objects: requests an action (e.g.,
Responding: commenting about events in an activity,
“Can I have a turn?”), requests an object (e.g., “Can I have a greeting, when others invite child to play, when others
marker?”), tells a peer what action to do or not to do (e.g., request, when others ask questions
“Stop it”, ‘Put it in there.”)

Nonverbal cues: Understanding facial expressions (e.g.

Commenting: express an opinion (e.g. “I think we should eyebrows raised mean surprised), Understanding body
start.”), response to a peer’s action (e.g. “You’re done.”), language (e.g. arms crossed when angry
express enjoyment or frustration (e.g. “Oh no!”)

Thiemann, K. & Goldstein, H. (2004). Effects of Peer Training and Written Text Cueing on Social Communication of Thiemann, K. & Goldstein, H. (2004). Effects of Peer Training and Written Text Cueing on Social Communication of
School-Age Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47, School-Age Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47,
126-144. 126-144.

8
 Reciprocal Strategies (learning
back and forth exchanges)
Reciprocal Questions

Conversation game: supply visuals as
Newspaper Reporter (give child

prompts, provide topic, provide simple questions to ask peer in order
scripts if necessary to get your student asking questions
and increasing interactions)

Eden Conversation program

Eden Asking Questions program

Activities to teach perspective,

problem solving, social rules, and mind
reading

Label and recognize emotions: through
cartoons, magazines, pictures, videos,
break down into features of the face if
needed

Understand emotions (Why is he feeling
that way, what is he thinking)

Prediction of consequences (What will
happen next? What happened before?)

Selection of alternative behaviors
(sarcasm, understanding situation to
interpret behaviors)

Thought bubble activities

Activities to teach perspective taking,

Thought Bubble Activity social rules, problem solving, mind
reading

Interest inventories (list of possible peer
interest that could be used for conversation
topics)

Mind reading activities (Howlin)

If-then statements to infer the
thoughts and interests of others

Software programs (Simon Baron-
Cohen, do 2 learn)

Social scenarios ( what has happened)

9
 Discrete Trial

•Cue

•Prompt (if necessary)

•Response (behavior)
Consequence (reinforcement)

Example from Eden Curriculum Social Narratives

SD “your turn”
Activities include
Written in first person and describes how

Procedure
Passing ball people feel and think in certain situations.

Model activity
Banging drum
Jack-in-the-box

Uses directive statements to show

Model activity again

and give SD
Stacking rings students how to act in those situations

Same procedure as
Pegs
Read repeatedly until the child over learns
steps 1-2 Hi fives

Randomize activities


it and rereads before problematic

Turning pages

Continue procedure
Sandbox with shovel and
situation.
with other activities pail
Should be written at child’s instructional

Generalize responses to Jumping
various teachers in


level for self awareness, self calming, self

Making sandwhich
various settings management

10
 Social Skill Picture Stories

The depiction of various social skills – the

correct way to act with accompanying
text that explains what the children are
doing.

Incidental Teaching Sabotage

Setup the environment/activity so that

Teaching as the situations occur rather the child will be unsuccessful. This
than in structured settings. will require the child to communicate
Example – a teacher points out (at recess) to
the student with ASD that a peer looks
physically hurt. She coaches the student
with ASD to stop playing and ask the other
student if he is OK. (The teacher is
amplifying the cue (someone is hurt) so that
the student with ASD reacts and does not
remain oblivious.)

11
 Power Cards
Power card
help change an unwanted or inappropriate
behavior by capitalizing on the special interests
Front of power card has the logo on it.
that characterize children and youth with AS. A Back of power card
brief, motivational text related to a special The contestants on Survivor think everyone
interest or a highly admired person is combined should have fun playing games. They also want you
to remember three things when playing games
with an illustration and made into a bookmark- with other people:
or business card-sized POWER CARD that the
Games should be fun for everyone.
student can refer to whenever necessary. For
If you win a game, you can: Smile, give high fives,
younger children the special interest or hero is or say, "Alright!"
worked into a brief story.
If you lose a game, you can: Take a deep breath
and say, "Good job" to the opponent or say,
"Maybe next time."

Structured Learning

Didactic instruction (explanation of the

skill steps)

Modeling of skill steps

The A-Team thinks everyone should
Role-playing skills with feedback

be respectful to their teachers. They
Practice in and outside the group
want you to remember 3 things when
you are in class:
1.Raise your hand if you have a question
2.If you need a break tell your teacher
3.Use kind words like please and thank you.

Didactic Instruction Cartooning

Using simple pictures and text as a whole or
in strips to understand a situation

The instructor explains the steps of a
description of the event that caused the
particular skill, using a visual of the skill problem
steps
feelings and thoughts of everyone involved

Why is it important to compliment others?
a solution to the problem and ideas on how

What can you compliment others about? to avoid it in the future

Why should you use a nice voice tone when
reinforcement
complimenting others?
appropriate symbols (stick figures, smiley
faces, thought bubbles)

colors used to express feelings (green-happy,
blue-sad, black-angry

12
 Promote Social
Performance

Peer sensitivity
Peer Mentoring
training
Self-Monitoring

Reinforcement/mo
Relaxation plans
tivation
Prompting

Priming
Video modeling

Modifications
Social narratives

Game playing

Increase
opportunities
(practice)

Self-Monitoring

Teaching child to be aware of behavior

1. Identify behavior, emotion, or skill
2. Define behavior, emotion, or skill
3. Introduce/teach behavior, emotion, skill
4. Select self-monitoring procedure
5. Teach self-monitoring strategy
6. Implement
7. Provide feedback
Source: Bellini, 2007

Prompting Level of Prompting will Vary

Supports used to help students learn

When requesting a physical response:
new skills and successfully perform

Gesture – gesture to indicate the correct
behaviors response

Partial Physical – hand over hand
assistance to initiate response, the

Have a plan for fading immediately student completes on his own. (tap the
elbow to get him to pick something up,
tap the shoulder to get him to sit down)

Determine a prompt hierarchy with the
Full Physical – hand over hand assistance
team to perform the entire response.

13
 Prompts continued Video Modeling
VERBAL CUES
Includes videos that
depict appropriate target
• Visual – a written cue that elicits a behaviors and/or videos of
response themselves performing the
desired behavior
• Partial Verbal – stating part of/or
“One Key reason for the
the initial sound of the verbal success of video modeling
is that it increases the
response you are expecting. (“What child’s attention to the Courtesy of Indiana University

time is it? It is _____.”) television, or computer

screen. And if you do not
• Full Verbal – stating the entire have attention, you will not
verbal response. (“What time is it? have learning.”
It is 2:00.”) Bellini, S., akullian, J., & Hopf, A. (2007). Increasing social engagement in young children with autism spectrum disorders using
video self-modeling. School Psychology Review, 36, 80-90
Bellini, S. & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self-modeling interventions for children and
adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children, 73, 261-284.

http://modelmekids.com/autism-video-
samples.html

Promote Social Performance

Reinforcement/Motivation Reinforcement/Motivation

Increases desired behaviors
should receive praise and social reinforcers, even
when receiving a more tangible reinforcer.

The type of reinforcer must be appropriate and
natural to the activity the student is doing and to

Forces us to monitor student’s the level of student understanding.
behavior
Reinforcement can include a variety of items or
activities. Give the student CHOICES.

The teacher needs to make sure the reinforcing

Provides feedback to student consequence immediately follows the behavior or
skill being learned or increased so that the
relationship between the two is clear to the
student. However, be careful to not interrupt a
social interaction.

14
 Priming Modifications

Priming – Preparing the student for Are necessary modifications in place?

the upcoming task.
Not Teaching…. Preparing
Consider student’s sensory deficits

Cognitive Priming: use visual and/or verbal

Behavioral Priming: practicing skill right

before having to perform in natural setting

Game Playing Practice

Increase social opportunities. The students
Games require social interaction but should be given opportunities to practice skills
are structured. Most children with peers in other settings.
interact not just during conversation
Feedback from the student, peers, adults as to
but during activities. how the opportunity was successful or not

Use popular games
Select activities that are appropriate for

practicing (student preferred activities)

Teach child how to play

Use other strategies for practicing (e.g. role-
playing)

Peer Sensitivity Training Peer Mentoring

Child specific or general overview
Select age-appropriate sensitive peer

Peer must willing

Can pair during difficult times such as
Celebrate differences
transitions

Peer must be given specific instructions on
Allow the children to be involved in the how to increase communication success
training (e.g. if student w/ASD needs simple direct
instructions)

Alternate peers

15
 Considerations for Social
Interaction
Continued

Reduce Aberrant Behaviors Prior to Initiating

Match Social Interaction Programs to Students' Social Interaction Programs
Needs and Settings.

Provide Ongoing Instruction and Monitoring

Establish Reasonable Social Interaction
Expectations
Task Analyze Social Interaction Skills

Be Sensitive to Local Social Interaction Norms
Consider the Importance of Setting and Material
and Conditions Variables

Program for Interaction Quality As Well As

Consider Social Validity in Programming
Quantity

Recognize That Not All General Education
Prioritize Social Interaction Skills
Students Will Be Suited to Social Interaction

Tailor Reinforcement to Meet Individual Needs
Programs

Continued Social Skills Groups

Educate Tutors and Others About Autism
When first beginning – make sure the

Facilitate Initial Interactions level of understanding is
commensurate with all students

Make Data-Based Program Decisions

Review the purpose of the group

Generalize Social Skills

Establish group rules and

Maintain Acquired Social Skills reinforcement/consequences

Get to know each other through
discussion and/or worksheet inventories

Game or snack time

Social Skills Groups Cont. Social Skills Groups Cont.

Set and display a schedule for the
Prepare a visual of the agreed upon
group: group rules

Talk Time
Listen to each other (wait for a pause to talk

SkillTime during a conversation, raise your hand and

Game Time
wait to be called on during skill time).

Talk nicely to each other (do not yell, tease, or

Snack
insult).

All Done

Keep hands and feet to yourself (do not push,
hit, kick, pinch, or grab others).

16
 Social Skills Groups Cont. Social Skills Groups

Humor: incorporate humor through

When getting to know each other -- jokes, charades, newspaper cartoons,

Use various prompts and visuals to help silly stories, etc….
the students focus on each other –
prompt them to respond or ask follow-up
questions.

Include all communication

A Last Thought from John
systems
I may look and act pretty strange at times, but
deep down I just want to be loved and understood
for who and what I am. I want to be accepted as
part of society, not an outcast or outsider. I
don’t want to be a genius or freak or something on
display. I wish for empathy and compassion from
those around me, and I appreciate sincerity,
clarity, and logicality in other people. I believe
most people-autistic or not- share this wish. I
hope you’ll keep those thoughts in mind the next
time you meet someone who looks or acts a little
strange.

Look me in the Eye by John Elder

Robison

References
Bellini, S., akullian, J., & Hopf, A. (2007). Increasing social engagement in young
children with autism spectrum disorders using video self-modeling. School
Psychology Review, 36, 80-90

www.speakingofspeech.com
Bellini, S. & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self-
modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum
www.usevisualstrategies.com
disorders. Exceptional Children, 73, 261-284.

www.do2learn.com
“The Effectiveness of an Interview Template in Children with Autism: Structured
Peer Interview to Facilitate Peer-peer Interactions” Crooke, Pamela J. (2005)
Thiemann, K. & Goldstein, H. (2004). Effects of Peer Training and Written Text
Cueing on Social Communication of School-Age Children With Pervasive
Developmental Disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research,
www.thegraycenter.org
47, 126-144.
Buschbacher, P. & Fox, L. (2003). Understanding and Intervening With the
Challenging Behavior of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

www.tinsnips.com
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34, 217-227.
Teacher's Toolbox. "Teacher's Toolbox." . . . 11 September 2007.
www.teacch.com
<http://www.ttoolbox.com/help.htm>.

www.mrsriley.com
Susan Klein. "Model Me Kids." . 2004. Model Me Kids®, LLC.. 11 September 2007.
<http://www.modelmekids.com/index.html>.
Fovel, T. (2002). The ABA Program Companion.
Bashe, P. & Kirby B. (2001). The Oasis Guide to Asperger Syndrome-Revised.

17