What Are Important Foundation Social Skills in Autism?

I gave a workshop recently where one of the participants asked a really important question. “What are social skills?” That question promoted some discussion that demonstrated we don’t all have the same ideas about the social skill needs and challenges of our students with autism. One attendee suggested teaching social skills meant focusing on teaching conversation skills. Others shared a broader view.

What ARE Social Skills?
Learning social skills is challenging for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Social skills are identified as a prime area for educational intervention. But what are social skills?

Before determining HOW to teach, it is critical to decide WHAT to teach. What areas need to be considered?

Core areas of social development are skills that lay a foundation for social relationships. These skills are essential tools to become an interactive part of social relationships. The core skills are necessary for participating in social environments with ease.

Think of the foundation of a house. A strong foundation provides support for what is built on top. Having strong core social skills will prepare students for learning more ways to have relationships and engage in social opportunities.

Core Skills for Social Development
Here are three core skills that are essential for successful social development. These are basics. It is important for students to have competence in these core areas.

Establishing a Social Connection
By definition, students with ASD demonstrate challenge attending to people and responding to them. In the first weeks and months of life, that bond between mother and child is the beginning of social development. It is the giggle and coo and peek-a-boo of babies.

We talk about developing a bond between the student and other people. It incorporates paying attention to people and responding to them. High-level language is not a factor here. Paying attention and responding is the goal.

Joint attention refers to making a connection with people and paying attention to the same things they are attending to.

Establishing a social connection has to do with developing that ‘give and take’ relationship with another person that the rest of social interaction is based on.

Communication Basics
Communication is what connects us to the rest of the world. It is a complex process that encompasses understanding and expression and more. Developing an effective communication system will give students the tools for social participation.

Understanding the environment is critical. Comprehending the communication of other people is necessary for a student to participate in activities and interact appropriately with others.

Effectively expressing wants and needs, giving information, expressing emotion in appropriate ways and sharing experiences are important social communication goals.


Self-Regulation
Children need to develop the ability to manage their behavior and their emotions. As they acquire an interest in the world around them they need to learn to modulate how they respond.

In the beginning, parents and other caregivers provide children with external controls. They provide the structure so the student’s behavior will be acceptable in the environment. Gradually, children learn to manage their own behaviors and emotions so they will be appropriate for the environment they are in.

Children can become active participants in social environments when they learn to modify their behavior for the situation.

What comes next?
Foundation skills prepare students for further learning. Establishing a social connection, developing effective communication skills (both understanding and expression) and being able to manage and modulate behavior are the beginning.

When those foundation skills are present, students will have the tools they need to participate in more social activities. The core skills enable students to benefit more from social opportunities.

Keep this in mind. . .
These core skills are some of the first skills to address in early intervention. But here is a caution. Just because students are older, don’t be fooled into thinking it is not important to pay attention to the core skills. Some older students still need to strengthen their core skills. These are important skills to teach if the student needs to learn them.

This is just the beginning. . .
Identifying what skills students need to learn is the critical beginning for social development. When students have gained competence in these basic skills, they will be more responsive to social opportunities. Strength in these core social skill areas will help students prosper in social environments and social relationships.

© 2009 Linda Hodgdon, M.ED., CCC-SLP
www.AutismFamilyOnline.com

Linda Hodgdon, M.ED., CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist and consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of the best seller, Visual Strategies for Improving Communication. To learn more or to sign up for her FREE E-newsletter, visit www.UseVisualStrategies.com

Autism Family Online

WANNA GET INVOLVED?

5 GUIDELINES TO HELP CLINICIANS APPROACH

& WORK WITH PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

Imagine how you feel when your ideas of what should happen (i.e. when you start a new job, go on vacation, or make plans to have children) collide head on with what really happens (i.e. co-workers are difficult to deal with, hurricane disrupts your vacation, or child begins to present with developmental irregularities).

This is a classic fantasy-meets-reality situation in which feelings of excitement and joy may be replaced by feelings of fear and despair. As a mother of a child with Autism, I have first hand experience regarding the fear, despair, anger, and frustration that challenges a parent. As an Occupational Therapist, I have first hand experience regarding the communication and clinical skills needed to work with clients and their caregivers. Based on my perspectives and experiences from both the giving end and receiving end of therapeutic intervention, I would like to offer 5 guidelines for how to approach parents whose child is being assessed and treated for special needs.

First, knowledge is power

Build your knowledge base and skill set. I recommend that you read and learn about the various issues and stressors caregivers deal with, i.e. sleep deprivation, grief, isolation, strained relations with friends/spouse/family, difficulties managing their daily routines (at home and at work), and challenges brought on by financing therapy. You will also need to learn and practice active listening skills. As you discover the needs of your client and their parents, you will be able to direct them to appropriate resources (online, community, books, support groups, medical professionals...to name a few).

Second, presentation is everything

Develop and master your professionalism. Please consider three main issues:

1) Plan ahead for your treatment sessions...and include several back-up plans! Consider the child's (and parent's) attention span, frustration tolerance, daily schedule, transportation, strengths, needs, and support system.

2) Dress conservatively, be well groomed, be on time, set limits as needed, and be organized.

3) Give the parents ways to communicate their questions and concerns with you. For example, have them write in a notebook, write an email, leave a phone message. Meanwhile, set boundaries to help you protect your personal space and time.

Third, look on the bright side

Teach the parents how to celebrate their child. Demonstrate how to look for and reward even the most microscopic signs of progress. One way I helped my son shorten his outbursts was to cheer and applaud when he inhaled. For that tiny quiet moment, I was able to capture the desired behavior and show him that he can, in fact, stop screaming.

Similarly, capture moments when you see the parent working well with their child and provide them with positive feedback for their efforts. One phrase I have learned to use is, "I appreciate the way you______. I need more of that." I also strongly recommend that you educate yourself and the parent on how to look at progress as if you are looking down from an airplane...when you view the situation from a distance, the topography/progress is much clearer.

Fourth, the light at the end of the tunnel

Be a resource! Using your active listening skills, identify helpful articles, ideas, websites, brochures, books, quotes, references, courses, financial assistance, respite care services, on-line communities, community activities and organizations, etc. Then, gradually and respectfully provide them with this information.

Even with my education and training as an Occupational Therapist, I still found myself easily overwhelmed when information and suggestions where seemingly unloaded on me. Along with information, please give them techniques to use with their child that can easily be incorporated into their daily routine. For example, techniques that can help a child tolerate eating new foods can be done during meal time.

Finally, expect the unexpected

Ask questions and investigate. To better serve the parent, find out their priorities, fears, hopes and concerns. Also, identify

• the parent's learning style
• their time constraints
• physical abilities and limitations
• emotional abilities and limits
• beliefs and preferences
• expectations of therapy
• available resources
• their opinions of how well they will be able to cope with current and future challenges

As a clinician, you are so much more than just another person on the parent's busy schedule. Work to expand your knowledge of issues caregivers face, optimize your professional skills and appearance, empower the parents by leading through example, respectfully guide parents to beneficial resources and techniques. Also, embrace the challenge of including the parent's priorities, needs and expectations into your treatment plan.

You may just find yourself witnessing and experiencing many unexpected joys. Who knows...maybe that parent you help will go on and become a lifeline and beacon of hope for other parents in need!

Denise Meissner is the mother of a child with Autism and an Occupational Therapist. Based on her experiences and training, she created the QCharm Portable Visual Cueing System and co-founded QCharm, LLC. (http://www.qcharm.com)

© 2009 Denise Meissner