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