education

Instructional Scripts One variation on the direct-instruction approach involves using social scripts as a part of social interaction training. Haring and Ryndak (1994) describe social scripts as “routine social interaction patterns that can be repeated many times in a variety of contexts” (p. 303). As you have learned, social skills deficits and communication deficits are […]

Social Skills Curricula Several commercial social skills curricula use a direct-instruction approach and may be helpful in guiding social skills instruction (see Table 4.4 in Chapter 4 for a listing of social skills curricula). The ACCEPTS (A Curriculum for Children’s Effective Peer and Teacher Skills) and ACCESS (Adolescent Curriculum for Communication and Effective Social Skills)

Direct-Instruction Sequence for Teaching Social Skills Direct instruction of social skills typically involves the following steps: 1. Describe the skill and why it is important (rationale). The description should include the task-analyzed steps of the skill being taught. EXAMPLE: “Today we’re going to learn how to ask a friend to play with you. When you

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

Teacher-Mediated Techniques Two types of teacher-mediated interventions have been used to increase social behavior in children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities. The first is direct instruction of target skills, which typically involves discussion, modeling, and role-playing target skills. The second is social stories. Direct Instruction of Social Behaviors The first teacher-mediated approach to

Emphasize Generalization Children can be taught to exhibit discrete social skills in structured situations relatively efficiently, in many cases. The challenge is teaching students to use those skills in new situations, where all of the familiar original learning conditions have changed. Generalization is among the most essential components of learning (Stokes & Baer, 1977). If

Potential Problems with Inclusion 1. Placement without planning. Improvements in social behavior will probably not simply happen regardless of placement. Simply exposing students with autism to typically developing peers will not lead to acquisition of targeted social behaviors. Socialization interventions must be formally planned for general education settings, and they must be based on relevant

Guard Against Potential Problems Related to Inclusion In 2013, approximately 40 percent of students receiving special education services for autism were educated in general education classes for 80 percent of the day or more (U.S. Department of Education, 2016b). An additional 20 percent spent approximately half of their day or more in general education settings.

Reduce Challenging Behaviors Before and even while placing students with autism in natural social contexts with typically developing peers, teachers and others must address challenging behaviors exhibited by the students with autism. Challenging behaviors should be assessed using functional assessment (see Chapter 3 ), and interventions should be implemented to reduce those behaviors and establish

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