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Teach Activities Preferred by Peers without Disabilities Students with autism should be taught to use the materials that are commonly part of the social repertoire of typically developing students. For example, Koegel, Werner, Vismara, and Koegel (2005) found that teaching students with autism to engage in activities preferred by peers without disabilities, such as playing […]

General Considerations for Socialization Interventions Several approaches have shown promise for improving the social skills, and ultimately the social competence, of students with autism. However, no matter what techniques are chosen to increase social skills, educators are more likely to achieve desired outcomes if certain considerations are observed, many of which relate to contextual factors

Interventions for Increasing Social Skills and Social Competence As you learned in Chapter 1, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2016a) requires that students with disabilities be educated in the LRE and with general education peers to the greatest extent possible. Fortunately, general education settings and activities are valuable venues for

Rating Scales for Assessing Social Skills · Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales, Gresham and Elliott (2008) This classic social skills rating system intended for students from ages 3 to 18 measures social skills, competing problem behaviors, and academic skills across four subscales, including an “Autism Spectrum” subscale. Companion intervention guides are available from

Steps in Assessing Social Skills Using Direct Observation 1. Determine the skills you wish to assess as described operationally. The following are examples of operational definitions of social skills. · Conduct anecdotal reports. · Taking turns: Student waits while other students take their turns in an activity; student participates without prompting when it is his

What is the nature of peer interactions? This question addresses the important issue of selecting socially valid skills to teach. For example, in the cafeteria, students with autism will probably not only need to learn to talk to peers but also may find it beneficial to be familiar with popular TV, YouTube, video game, and

Steps in Determining the Demands of Target Environments 1. Determine the target environments where students will have opportunities for social interaction. 2. Interview teachers and other adults who supervise students in those environments. 3. Conduct ecological assessments in those environments. As part of each ecological assessment, answer these questions: · What activities occur within this

Assessment of Contexts and Determining Socially Valid Skills Assessment of contexts means determining contexts in which the student will—or could—potentially function and the types of opportunities for social interaction within each of those contexts. However, identification of social contexts alone is insufficient. In addition, you must identify what skills are needed within those environments and

Social Competence Versus Social Skills Teaching social skills is an important but insufficient goal. The purpose for teaching social skills is to improve individuals social behavior and ultimately their social functioning. But social functioning does not occur in isolation. Social functioning requires interactions among individuals, and successful social functioning requires positive, healthy, and developmentally appropriate

Socialization and LRE As you have learned, the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2016a) requires students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) , and to the extent educational progress can be made in inclusive settings, the LRE means that education should occur with peers without disabilities. Decisions