Teaching Social Skills 

A Social Skills Curriculum from Family Interplay Education

 Coping with Challenging Behaviors                                 by Laurie Simons MNABS

Table Of Contents

I.  INTRODUCTION  4

II. UNDERLYING FACTORS THAT INTERFERE WITH SUCCESS.. .5

1. Neurological Immaturity... .5

A. Poor organizational skills   6

B. Poor impulse control,.. .7

C. Poor auditory comprehension... .7

D. Poor judgment and prediction skills; Inability to connect cause and effect... .8

E. Easily over stimulated; difficulty with self regulation. .8

F. Defensive to tactile input (tactile defensiveness). .9

G. Unable to read social cues. .9

H. Poor short term memory. ..9

I.  Distracted by visual input that is unrelated to current task..1O

J. Difficulty with motor planning.. 10

K. Inflexibility..10

2. Sensory Integration! Sensory Priorities...1 I

A. Olfactory.. 12

B. Tactile...12

C. Vestibular...14

D. Proprioceptive...15

E. Visual...15

F. Auditory...16

3. Self Regulation...17

4. Emotional Factors...22

A. Self esteem. ..22

B. Early Trauma..22

Ill. FOUNDATIONS FOR CLASSROOM SUCCESS. .24

I .Safe Behavior (Self, Others, Property). .26

A. The child is angry.. .26

B. The child is over stimulated. .27

C. The child is seeking intense sensory input.. .27

D. The child is defending him/herself against tactile input..27

E. The child has learned the “habit” of aggression, and due to

inflexibility tends to persist in repeating the same pattern.. .28

F. The child has difficulty with self regulation. .28

2. Remain in the Room..28

A. The classroom is a new and unfamiliar environment. .28

B. The child prefers to be in open spaces. .29

C. The child is anxious or over stimulated in the classroom setting. .30

D. The child is avoiding the domination of others. .30

3. Stay in and/or transition to the Designated Area.. .3

A. The child has an immature neurological system, and tends to be

disorganized, unable to link cause and effect, lacking in judgment, etc...31

B. The child is over stimulated by the presence of others, and becomes agitated or anxious in a class setting. .31

C. The child is distractible. .32

D. The child becomes “over focused” or “locked in”. .32

E. The child is on his/her “own agenda” and resists direction from others. .32

F. The child has problems with closeness and/or movements of others. .33

G. The child is (over) stimulated by open spaces (hallways, gymnasiums or outdoor playgrounds). .33

H. The child has poor listening skills (auditory attention, memory, comprehension, or processing speed)..33

I.  The child lacks social interest or awareness, and is not picking up on visual cues such as classmates moving towards the door.. 33

J. The child has a need for movement/stimulation and has difficulty sitting still. .33

4. Attend to Task Without Disturbing Others. .34

A. The child has poor impulse control..34

B. The child has an intense need to be the center of attention or wants attention from peers. .35

C. The child makes noises. .35

D. the child uses inappropriate language including bathroom talk, swearing, or put-downs..35

E. The child is avoiding school work due to fear of failure and humiliation. .36

F. The child is avoiding school work due to poor fine motor (writing) skills. .36

G. The child is avoiding school work due to poor visual/perceptual skills. .36

H. The child persists in repeating questions, talking out, or getting “stuck” on a subject. .36

I.  The child persists in talking out of turn. .37

5. Engage Purposefully in a High Interest Task..37

A. The child engages in self-stimulating behaviors..37

B. The child uses materials in a non-purposeful way. .38

C. The child appears unmotivated. .38

6. Engage Purposefully in a Teacher Chosen Task. .39

A. The child resists being directed, or is oppositional. .39

B. The child has difficulty accepting new or unfamiliar activities. .40

C. The child becomes “locked in” to favorite topics, and refuses to switch to a different topic.. .41

D. The child is a perfectionist and/or fears failure.. .41

E. The child complains that s/he is “much to intelligent”, and the work is “too easy”.. .41

F. The child lacks the ability to remain focused on a task without one to one teacher assistance.. .42

7. Do Academic Tasks at Challenge Level.. .42

A. The child fears failure and refuses to attempt the work. .42

B. The child lacks fine motor (graphic) skills to do written work neatly, quickly or successfully. .42

C. The student is distracted or over stimulated by sensory input. .42

IV.  PRINCIPLES AND TIPS FOR TEACHERS. .44

1. The Importance Of Schedules..44

A. Post the daily classroom schedule in a visible spot . .46

B. Provide individual schedules for each student. .46

C. Provide schedules within schedules. .47

D. Use picture schedules for non-verbal (e.g. autistic) or pre-verbal

students. .48

2. Repetition and Rituals..48

3. Teach Transition Skills...49

A. Develop a cue system for announcing transitions.. .50

B. Design a “transition routine” . . .50

C. Teach students skills for lining up.. 50

D. Help students cope with a change in the expected routine. .52

E. Teach “Flexibility Planning”. .52

4. Establish the Class as a Team. .53

A. Explain Differences..54

B. Practice “ignoring skills”. .54

C. Explain why some students seem to get “special privileges”. .54

D. Establish a class motivation system. .54

E. Have the same basic expectations for all students. .54

F.  Offer class incentives for appropriate behaviors..55

5. Teach Planning Skills..55

6. Teach Students to Become “Classroom Civilized”. .56

A. Design a developmentally appropriate, individualized curriculum for

each student with special needs. .56

B. Follow a predictable classroom routine in which students are expected

to keep their bodies in the “designated learning places”.. .57

7. Teach Self Regulation Skills. .58

8. Use Proactive Vs Reactive Discipline. .61

9. Build Self Esteem. .62

A. Use effective cues and communications. .62

B. Use praise appropriately. .63

C. Assign responsibilities.. .63

D. Expect and acknowledge appropriate actions. .63

E. Focus on what is right; avoid attention to what is wrong. .64

F.  Use student’s name for acknowledgment rather than correction.. .64

10.  Homework..65

V.   REFERENCES. .66

Foundations for Classroom Success Chart . . .25

Figure #1 Sample Schedule  45

Figure #2 Lining Up Diagram...51