embedding social skills instruction into a multi-tiered system of supports webinar richard boltax,...
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EmbeddingSocial Skills Instruction into a
Multi-tiered System of Supports Webinar
Richard Boltax, Julie ErdelyiRebecca Lallier & Amy Wheeler
November 6, 2013
While You’re Waiting…
Consider the following questions.
• Why do some students interact inappropriately with others in the school setting?
• Why do some students, even after social skills instruction, fail to demonstrate desired behaviors?
• When you think of a student in your class who is not interacting appropriately, what particular behaviors would you like to see?
Introductions
When we call your name please:
1)Say “hello”2)Tell us what school you are from.3)Indicate who is in the room with you, if
anyone.
Webinar Logistics
• 2 Ways to Interact:– Raise your hand using the icon on your screen– Type a question into the text box
• Intermittently we will provide opportunities to interact.
• This webinar will be recorded.• Please note, your microphone will be muted
unless otherwise indicated.
Agenda
• Best practices in teaching social skills within multi-tiered systems of support
• Introduction to Social Cognition • Embedding Social Skills Curriculum
Within a Multi-tiered Framework
Teacher Ranked Top 10
1. Listen to others2. Follow the steps3. Follow the rules4. Ignore distractions5. Ask for help6. Take turns when you talk7. Get along with others8. Stay calm with others9. Be responsible for your behavior10. Do nice things for others
Elliott, 2006
Some Reasons Students Don’t use Social Skills after Instruction
• Don’t view skills as being useful.
• New behavior doesn’t bring equal or better benefits.
• New behavior is awkwardly performed. Student feels unsuccessful and perceives future failure.
• Due to the interpersonal history, student is quickly rejected or rarely given the chance to demonstrate new skills.
• Under stress, resorts to old patterns of reaction.
Classification of Social Skills
Acquisition Deficits– Absence of knowledge for executing skill or failure to discriminate
which social behaviors are appropriate in specific situations (can’t do)
Performance Deficits– Skill is present in repertoire, but student fails to perform at acceptable
levels (won’t do)
Fluency Deficits– Lack of exposure to sufficient or skilled models of social behavior,
insufficient rehearsal/practice or low rates or inconsistent delivery of reinforcement of skilled performances
Types of Social Skills Concerns Actions & Interventions
Social Skill Strengths: student knows and uses social skills consistently and appropriately
Reinforce to maintain desired social behaviorUse student as a model for other students
Performance Use behavior techniques to increase student practice and performance of desired social behavior
Frequency Provide extensive opportunities to practice across a wide range of exemplars
Acquisition Direct instruction of the desired social behavior
Competing Problem Behaviors Use behavior techniques to reduce interfering behaviorsCollect further information (e.g. FBA - direct observations, interviews, comprehensive assessment of problem behaviors).
Goals of PBIS
Safe & Healthy School Environments
Increased Instructional
Opportunities
ACADEMICALLY SKILLED
SOCIALLY COMPETENT & EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT
PBIS, MTSS and Second Step: Key Connections
MTSS and PBIS Second Step
Tier 1
Primary
~ 80% Students Master Skills
Classroom Curriculum
All Students Participate
Tier 2
Secondary
~ 15% Students Require Extra Support for Mastery
Small Group Interventions
Pre teach/re teach
Tier 3
Tertiary
~ 5% Students Require More Intensive Interventions
Individual Supports
Tie
r 1
Str
ateg
ies:
All
Stu
den
ts
Five Foundational Practices1. Clear Expectations
2. Explicitly Taught
3. System for Acknowledging Desired Behavior
4. System for Discouraging Undesired Behavior
5. Data System to Support Decision Making
4 - 5K - 3• Skills for learning
• Empathy
• Emotion management
• Friendship skills and problem solving
• Skills for learning and empathy
• Emotion management
• Problem solving
Second Step Program Skills and Topics
Skills for Learning
• Listening• Focusing attention• Following directions• Using self-talk• Being Assertive
Instructional Approach
• Tell (coaching)• Show (modeling)• Do (role play)• Practice (behavioral rehearsal)• Monitor Progress (feedback)• Generalize (apply in multiple settings)
Emotion Management
• Staying in Control Steps for Staying in Control (All
grades) Focus on anger and checking
assumptions (grade 7)De-escalating tense situations
(grade 8)
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Research Links SEL to Higher Student Success
Source: Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., and Schellinger, K. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82, 405-432.
•23% gain in SE skills
•9% gain in attitudes about self/others/school
•9% gain in pro-social behavior
•11% gain on academic performance via standardized tests (math and reading)
• 9% difference in problem behaviors• 10% difference in emotional distress
And Reduced Risks for Failure
Skill for Social and Academic Success
Second Step is a
Classroom Curriculum
Tier 1Primary
Universal
All Students Receive
Tier 1 Universal
Instruction
100 % 80% of Students
Master Skills Without Further
Intervention
~ 80 %
Some Schools Use Second Step as a
Tier 2 Small Group Intervention
All Students Receive
Tier 1
Universal Instruction
100 %
Pre-teach Second Step lessons in small groups to
complement universal, Tier 1
delivery.
~ 15 %
Second Step Content May Inform
Tier 3 Individual Interventions
All Students Receive
Tier 1
Universal Instruction
100 %
Individual Support Plan may include reinforcement of
or re-teaching Second Step skills
and concepts
~ 5 %
Pre-Implementation
Second StepImplementation Process
Social Skills Instruction at the Universal Level
• Generally taught by classroom teacher• Considered part of the curricula offering• Built into the weekly schedule• Often starts with the teaching of school-wide
expectations and progresses to issues of concern based on data i.e., bullying, harassment, other risk behaviors
• Acknowledgement system should be linked to demonstration of skills covered in social skills instruction
Social Skills Instruction at the Targeted Level
• Pre-corrections, reminders, acknowledgment and other feedback linked to universal social skill instruction and given with more frequency to students identified for targeted support
• Easily linked to a school’s check in/check out strategies• Social skills group formed to pre-teach skills introduced
in the universal curriculum as well as provide extra opportunities for practice and feedback
• Targeted lessons that are presented as game based instruction can ameliorate behavior challenges in the small group
Social Skills Instruction at the Intensive Level
• Link with functional assessment and behavior planning
• Create individualized plans within the context of the Universal (school-wide) social skills instruction.
• Integrate what the student does well• Evidence of generalization should include
school, home and community
Generalization
• Demonstrating the skill across multiple setting• Requires opportunities for practice along with
feedback• Schools that have clearly stated and practiced
expectations along with a school-wide acknowledgement system will help facilitate new learning
Questions/Comments?
Teaching Social Understanding to Promote Positive School Culture
Julie Erdelyi, M.A.
Program Manager , Communication Services at the Stern Center for
Language and Learning 31
Enter: Social COGNITION
• Social cognition provides positive and clear behavior expectations, and teaches the WHY behind the actions.
• We know that social cognitive challenges impact a students ability to access the core curriculum.
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• Skill
– Look at the person
– Wave and/or say “HI”
– Reinforce the sequence
33
• Cognition
– Think about who is around you & decide who you want to be friendly to.
– Decide how to best greet the person based on expectation and prior knowledge.
– Say “Hi” (verbal or nonverbal) in whatever way is expected
A Big Assumption
• We assume that social knowledge is in place and that students are able to use social cognition to regulate their behavior in a group.
34
Concepts that Support Universal Application
• Important Universal Concepts
–The Incredible 5 Point Scale–Hidden Curriculum
35
Monitoring My Anxiety Level A Rating Scale for Sam
54321
Forget it. My self control is zero. I need an advocate.
It is pretty hard for me to control myself. I’ll need somebody safe with me or a way out in a hurry.
I’m okay. But I would like somebody nearby to support me.
I’m cool.
No problem. I'm in complete control for at least ___minutes. I’ll even be able to help someone else.
37
The scale can also serve as a quiet, unobtrusive reminder to the student to self monitor behavior.
Vocabulary • Listening with your eyes and brain. • Brain in/Brain out• Body in/Body out• Too much/Too little/Just right• Thinking bubble/Talking bubble• Smart Guess/Wacky Guess• People files• Social Fake• ‘Thinking about you’ vs. ‘Just me’ person• “I do”, “We do”• Listen, Care, Change• Predict, Care, Change• Giving and receiving information 38
Define School-wide Expectations for Social Behavior
• Identify 3-5 expectations in short statements.
• Use positive statements (what to do, not what to avoid doing)
• Make them memorable!
39
Define School-wide Expectations for Social Behavior
– Be respectful– Be responsible– Be safe– Be kind– Be a friend– Be-there-be-ready– Hands and feet to self – Respect self, others, property– Follow directions of adults
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References• Buron, K.& Curtis, M. (2003). The Incredible 5-Point Scale: Assisting Students
with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Understanding Social Interactions and Controlling Their Emotional Responses. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.www.5pointscale.com
• Delsandro, Elizabeth. (2010). We Can Make It Better! San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing, Inc. www.socialthinking.com
• Gray, C. (1994). The New Social Story Book: Illustrated Edition. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, INC. www.thegraycenter.org.
• Moreau, M.R. (2010). It’s All About the Story!: An interactive Guide Using the Story Grammar Marker For Parents and Educators of Children with Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism and Related Communication Disorders. Springfield, MA: MindWing Concepts, Inc.
• Schmidt-Mertes, Gretchen. M.Ed., 2008-2011Puget Sound Autism Aspergers Support Associates [email protected]
41
Questions/Comments?
Dothan Brook School:Social Skills within MTSS
Rebecca Lallier, M.Ed.
Amy Wheeler, M.S. Ed.
43
Social Skills within MTSS
Curricula• Second Step
– universal, targeted, & intensive
• Think Social and Superflex & the Team of Unthinkables (adapted)– universal, targeted, & intensive
• The Zones of Regulation (adapted)– targeted & intensive
• DBS Counseling Curriculum– universal, targeted, & intensive
Second Step
Lesson Cards
Lesson Cards
Unit CardsUnit Cards
K & G1 PuppetsK & G1
PuppetsPostersPosters
Teaching Materials Binder
Teaching Materials BinderSong CDSong CD
DVDDVD
Listening Rules and Skills for
Learning Cards
Listening Rules and Skills for
Learning Cards
Online Resources
Online Resources
Superflex & The Team of Unthinkables
Zones of Regulation
Universal Social Skills
• School-wide expectations for all school settings are taught during the first week of school. (2013)
• Expectations are taught and re-taught as needed. (2009)
• Monthly focus behaviors are identified through analysis of behavioral data. (2011)– school-wide rollout at assembly– focus behaviors are especially reinforced
Universal, continued
• Counseling curriculum is taught weekly in classrooms. Lessons are unit-based, developmental, and spiral, K-5. (1997)– social cognition (including Superflex), conflict
resolution, bullying prevention, differences & diversity
– curriculum and materials mostly developed by counselors
Universal, continued• Second Step, PreK-5
– Built into master schedule– Simultaneous (Tuesdays 8:15-8:45/9:00)– ALL staff assigned to classrooms to co-teach (other
than nurse, secretary, custodian, food service)– Following Through lessons incorporated into
morning meeting and taught by classroom teachers (5 minute activity Wed, Thurs, Fri, Mon)
– Home links - “homework” for families
Example Home Links
Impact of Universal Teaching
• Behaviors are addressed proactively
• Students & adults using common language to remind, correct, process– e.g. focus attention, self-talk, empathy,
compassion, passive, aggressive, assertive
Impact of Universal, continued
• Deepened understanding of topics taught in counseling classes (conflict resolution, bullying prevention, etc.)
• Applying concepts and vocabulary to reading• Decreased number of referrals for targeted
support• Parents report kids using skills at home
Student-Created Bullying Prevention Poster
Student-Created Bullying Prevention Poster
Targeted Social Skills
• Second Step (2013)– Weekly pre- and/or post-teaching by counselors,
one special educator, and one SLP– Co-taught as needed!!!– Built into the master schedule – during related
arts enrichment time, so students do not miss academics or regular related arts classes
Targeted, continued
• Counseling groups– Small group counseling (e.g. Confidence Boosters,
Stress Busters, FISH, etc.)– In response to particular issues that arise within a
social group, classroom, or grade level (may take place in a full class)
Impact of Targeted
• Increased success in classroom Second Step lessons (Teachers LOVE this!)
• Recent FBA – the ONLY instructional classroom setting where the behavior does not occur is during the classroom Second Step lessons!
Impact of Targeted, continued
• Better understanding and generalization of skills
• More opportunity to tie the skills to students’ particular circumstances & behavioral needs.
• Increased problem-solving skills
Ability to Adapt Lessons
“You understand the lessons [in the classroom]. If others don’t understand you can explain it to them.”
“I remember what we did. I answer questions. I know the answers.”
“How does pre-teaching help you?”
More Words of Wisdom
“It makes it easier for me. I won’t have to think about it as long. Otherwise they would be asking the next question by the time I thought of the answer.
“I know what I’m going to say so I don’t get stressed and mad.”
Intensive Social Skills
• During individual counseling sessions– Digital tools & art activities - role plays and
“teaching others”
• 1:1 reinforcement with Otter Club para
• Most are getting Second Step social skills training within a targeted group!
Impact of Intensive
• Depends on the friend!– Significant behavior changes for some
• One who was intensive last year, became targeted by spring, and is now an “independent otter,” (working way out of targeted supports)
– Increased opportunity to practice and problem-solve around specific situations
– Reduced feelings of shame– Vision of self as “expert” helper to others
Questions/Comments?