Transcript Identify communication supports

Promoting Communication and
Social Skills for Adolescents and
Adults with Autism
Proactive
Strategies
Communication
Strategies for
Supporting
Adolescents
and Adults
Sensory
Social
Communication and Social
Skills - the Connection
Topics
• Communication Strategies and
Supports
• Social Skills Strategies and Supports
• Bringing It All Together
Communication
Strategies and Supports
Determine the
Communication Goals!
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Verbal
Nonverbal
Receptive
Conversation
How Do We
Teach Communication?
• Identify communication supports (proactive)
• Take advantage of naturally occurring
opportunities
• Create additional opportunities
• Ensure motivation / reinforcement
• Teach through routines
• Alter the environment
How Do We
Teach Communication?
• Teach during naturally occurring
opportunities
• Create opportunities to teach
communication
• Teach in context to promote meaning
and generalization
How Do We
Teach Communication?
• Teach through motivational
activities to create desire and
interest
How Do We
Teach Communication?
• Teach through routines to provide
opportunity for repetition
– Build communication into developed
routines
– Alter established routine to elicit
communication
How Do We
Teach Communication?
• Teach through environmental
modifications to provide frequent
opportunities
– Set up obstacles to desired objects or
activities
– Set up problem-solving situations
Communication Supports
• Communication boards / book
Communication Supports
• Cue cards
I need help.
No,
thank
you.
I don’t
understand
Communication Supports
• Scripts
I want a
cheeseburger,
small fries, and a
diet Coke
• Conversation starters / terminators
I’m going to Kings
Dominion on
Saturday
Communication Supports
• Topic boards
Choosing Topics of
Conversation
Taboo
Topics
1_____________
2_____________
3_____________
4_____________
5_____________
Depends
1_____________
2_____________
3_____________
4_____________
5_____________
Safe
Topics
1_____________
2_____________
3_____________
4_____________
5_____________
Activity: Steven
• Take advantage of naturally occurring
opportunities
• Create additional opportunities
• Ensure motivation / reinforcement
• Teach through routines
• Alter the environment
• Use communication supports
Social Skills
Strategies and Supports
Social Skills Instruction
Five Layer Approach
(Bellini, 2006)
1. Identify and assess areas of need
2. Discern between skill acquisition deficits
and performance deficits
3. Select appropriate intervention
strategies
4. Implement intervention
5. Evaluate program and modify as needed
Social Skills Supports
Mentoring / Peer support
 Task analysis
 Role playing
 Social narratives
• Social scripting
• Video modeling

Peer Support
Strategy for Social and Communication
Skills
Natural
Ongoing
Support
Mentor / Peer Support
Qualities
Rapport
Adult or Mature Peer
Understand disability
and person
Mentor / Peer Support Role
• Structure the social
environment
• Educate others
• Provide assistance
• Provide reinforcement
Steps to Develop Peer
Support
Step 1. Observe and work with individual
to determine needs and interests
Step 2. Select peers
Step 3. Educate and train peers
Step 4. Help peers to problem solve
Task Analysis
1. Define the steps needed to
demonstrate a social skill
2. Teach the person steps in order
3. Reinforce the person with
positive reinforcement for
demonstrating steps
Task Analysis for
Accepting ‘No’ Response
After you have asked for something:
1. Look at adult
2. Listen to response
3. Take a deep breath
4. Say, “OK”
5. Ask, “Can I have it later?”
6. Listen to response
7. Say, “OK”
Implementing Task Analysis
for Accepting ‘No’ Response
1. Support person demonstrates
skill
2. Individual and support person
role play skill
3. Skill is worked on in natural
environment
Role Playing / Rehearsal
• Conduct in a natural environment
• Add difficulty to the role-play as the
individual progresses
• Perform a significant number of
repetitions of the newly introduced skill
• Treat as you would when teaching any
other skill
What Is a Social Narrative?
A written account of a social situation
describing:
• What occurs in a given situation
• Relevant social cues
• Why something occurs
• Common responses
Social Narrative Example
Most people shower every day. (Descriptive)
They like to feel clean and smell good to other
people. (Perspective)
If I don’t shower, I smell bad. (Descriptive)
My smell bothers other people. (Perspective)
I will try to take a shower every day.
(Perspective)
Taking a shower may help other people want
to be around me. (Perspective)
Social Scripting
• Identify rote language
and skills for various
social situations
• Script those
situations
• Practice script
Video Modeling
1. Videotape the person, a
mentor, or a respected peer
demonstrating a social skill
2. Individual with ASD watches
the video and immediately
practices the skill
Bringing It All Together
Activity: Steven
• Select appropriate social skills
strategies from those that we just
discussed
• Identify how some of these could also
promote some of his goal
communication skills identified earlier
In Closing: TABB
(Things, Action, Barriers, Benefits)
• What things did you learn that you will use to support your
individual?
• What action will you take? When will you take it?
• What barriers stand in your way? How can you overcome the
barriers?
• What are the benefits that will be received because of your action?