Ms. Jacobs Teaches Social Skills
Ms. Jacobs teaches an intermediate class for students with autism, ages 9–11. Each of her students participates in several different general education activities such as lunch, music, science, and language arts. Despite having many opportunities to interact with general education peers, Ms. Jacobs’ students typically interact little. They respond minimally to peer initiations and do not initiate interactions.
Ms. Jacobs believes that her students do not know many basic social interaction skills. To remedy the problem, she has implemented a social skills instruction program. First, she made careful assessments to determine skills to teach. She observed both her students and their peers in general education environments and interviewed peers and teachers. This assessment indicated approximately 15 skills that seemed critical for social success. Skills targeted for instruction included answering questions, asking questions, carrying on a conversation with peers of at least several sentences, using humor, sharing, and taking turns.
Next, Ms. Jacobs solicited four peers from general education classes to assist with social skills instruction. These peers were students familiar to her students and were selected because they had been observed attempting to interact with the students with autism. The general education peers simply participated in the group instruction, just as did the students with autism.
Finally, Ms. Jacobs began instruction. The social skills group met daily for 20 minutes per session. One or two of the four peers attended each group. The first skill taught was “answering questions.” Ms. Jacobs first explained what “answering questions” meant, and she gave several examples from her students’ daily lives. Next, Ms. Jacobs and her paraprofessional, Ms. Rogers, modeled the skill: the paraprofessional posed questions to Ms. Jacobs similar to the types of questions peers might ask. Ms. Jacobs would “think out loud” (“She asked me a question. I need to look at her and answer her.”) and then reply to the question. Ms. Jacobs and Ms. Rogers demonstrated several examples of “answering questions.” After each example, Ms. Jacobs asked for feedback from students (“Did I answer the question? Did I look at my friend?”). Next, one of the general education peers role-played the skill with either Ms. Jacobs or Ms. Rogers. Again, after each role-play, Ms. Jacobs asked other students for feedback about the peers’ use of the skill. After that, the peer and the students with autism (one at a time) role-played the skill, with other students giving feedback. The peer was instructed to ask questions similar to those typically posed at lunch or other noninstructional situations. Ms. Jacobs provided examples. Each successful role-play was accompanied by praise from the teachers.
As she was teaching the skill, Ms. Jacobs used a chart with a picture representing the skill and listing the steps to serve as a reminder for her students to use the skill. This chart was used at the start of each group to review the steps in the skill.
Once every student had successfully demonstrated the skill in role-play situations, students were shown a form that had the picture representing the skill at the top of the page and five blank boxes at the bottom. Students were informed that Ms. Jacobs or Ms. Rogers would be watching them at various times, and when students used the skill of answering questions, they would earn a sticker. When all five boxes were filled, they could take the form to the principal for a special treat.
Each time a student left the classroom to attend a general education activity, he or she was reminded about using the skill of answering questions and the steps involved. Ms. Jacobs and Ms. Rogers observed students at random times throughout the day. After each observation (e.g., at lunch), the adult gave the student feedback about his or her use of the skill and, if appropriate, gave a sticker for the student to apply to the form. In addition, any time any student was observed using the skill in any situation, Ms. Jacobs or Ms. Rogers would place a star on a chart that had a picture depicting the skill in the middle. When all the empty boxes on the chart were filled with stickers, the class could select a special group activity to do that day (e.g., make popcorn, play a game, go for a walk).
The last component of the direct-instruction approach was that Ms. Jacobs informed the general education teachers and peers as skills were being addressed. She asked these individuals to praise her students any time they observed the students using the skill correctly.
Ms. Jacobs spent approximately one and one-half weeks on each skill. In addition, from time to time, she conducted review sessions for all previously learned skills. According to Ms. Jacobs’ data, her students’ use of the targeted skills increased dramatically after instruction. Although work remained to be done to improve her students’ socialization skills, Ms. Jacobs knew her students were now far better prepared to interact with their general education peers.
The effectiveness of direct-instruction social skills lessons can be increased by including typically developing same-age peers who are skilled in the social behaviors being taught (e.g., Peters, Tullis, & Gallagher, 2016). Peers serve as models and help with the role-play practice. The advantages of using peers are the increased likelihood of students with autism modeling peers’ use of the skills being taught (e.g., Bandura, 1977), more realistic practice scenarios, and more realistic responses to target students’ use of skills during role-play practice.
Table 7.5 describes the steps in a direct-instruction approach to teaching social skills. One major disadvantage of a direct-instruction approach is that skills acquired and demonstrated in the instructional setting often fail to generalize—that is, students may demonstrate proficiency in a skill during the social skills lesson but never use the skill in a natural environment (e.g., the cafeteria, playground, hallways, inclusion classes). Teachers can increase the likelihood of generalization by incorporating the strategies for enhancing generalization described in the next section and by observing the general recommendations for socialization interventions noted earlier in this chapter.