Social Skills Instruction & Practices

Social Skills Instruction & Practices Maura Roberts, Matthew Link & Christine Piripavel Centennial School of Lehigh University

Core Beliefs at Centennial • Students w/ED need social skills to succeed in school, the community and at home. • learn empathy, impulse control & anger management. • Successful social skills instruction is similar to successful academic instruction • Direct instruction and a model-lead-test approach helps promote generalization and maintenance of social skills

Reasons Children Fail to Act Pro-Socially • Lack of modeling • Lack of practice • Desired behavior inhibited by emotional responses • Inappropriate beliefs about aggression

The Social Skills at Centennial School 80% Intensive Intervention:(Individual Level) Instructional planning and error correction 5% Early Intervention: (Classroom Level) Classroom interventions and Mini lessons. Provide proven structured and targeted social skills support to students placed at-risk 15% Primary Prevention(School-wide) Building Wide interventions Adapted from: Dwyer, K. & Osher, D. (2000) Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide. Washington DC: U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, American Institutes for Research. (page 3)

Social Skills Training Building-Wide Take Five

Social Skills Training Building-Wide • Daily Point Sheets • Record percentages by goal • “2” = meets expectations • “1”= close to expectations • “0” = not able to perform behavior

Behavioral Slogans • Be There, Be Ready • Be Responsible • Be Respectful • Personal Space • Follow Directions • Complete Homework

Slogans Defined • Be There, Be Ready: • Be on time, have materials, use bathroom during transition • Be Responsible: • Accept teacher feedback, take time when frustrated • Be Respectful: • Raise hand, use appropriate language • Personal Space: • Keep hands and feet to self, ask permission to touch items • Follow Directions: • Respond after first prompt • Complete Homework: • Accurately and on time,

Providing Feedback • Points are administered at the end of each period. • Feedback is given privately to each student and the rationale for awarding points is explained to the student. • Feedback is given through positive statements. • “You earned one point for being respectful” instead of “You lost a point for calling out ” • Bonus points are awarded in moderationfor behaviors above and beyond just meeting expectation. • Teachers should strive for consistency among one another in administering points.

Point Cards as Decision Tools • Efficient way to collect data • Each day is recorded into a Daily Data Sheet (DDS) • Used to track movement through step system • Helps to determine when a change in behavior plan is needed

Social Skills Training Building-Wide • Take Time • Encouraged to identify and state emotion or physical symptom • Self-Management • Problem Solving • Anger and Frustration

Take Time Procedures • Needs to be taught • Two points of determination • Use when feel student will benefit • Student handle responsibly • Physical space or mental time • Approximately 3 minutes in length • Goal is for the student to calm down

Requesting Take Time “ I feel _____________, (emotion of feeling) I need to take time, May I go _______ for ________.” (place) (amount of time)

Classroom Level

Classroom Expectations • Treat teachers staff and other students respectfully • Use polite language • Participate in class activities • Follow school and classroom rules • Exercise care when using school property

Academic Instruction Survey Level Assessment Goal: Active Engagement Weekly Progress Monitoring Designing Academic Interventions

Modeling and Error Correction • Modeling • Coaching and Cueing • Storytelling • Group Discussion • Role Play Facilitation • Transfer of Learning/Transfer of Training

Examples of Social Skills Curricula • Social Skills on the Job – A Transition to the Workplace by AGS • Second Step – A Violence Prevention Curriculum (Research-based) • Preschool / Kindergarten – Grade 9 • www.cfchildren.org / (800) 634-4449 • CIRCLES (1983) by Marklyn P. Champagne & Leslie Walker-Hirsch • Developmental / Cognitively Challenged • Color-coded and teaches boundaries • Discriminate degrees of intimacy • Adapt behaviors accordingly

Steps To Success • Five step system to guide middle and high school students through Centennial behavior management program. • Positive process for monitoring growth and progress as students move from a highly structured to less structured instructional environments. • Concrete monitoring tool for students and staff

Special Considerations • Step system procedures should be implemented consistently by all staff. • System does not allow for faculty or staff to develop special program or contracts without first holding an IEP meeting or staffing. • Point sheet is primary tool for recording and monitoring students behavioral performance.

Step One • Purpose is to orient students and their parents to the academic and behavioral expectations of the Steps to Success program. • Students remain on Step One for 10 school days. • Since Step One is an orientation step, there is no firm percentage criteria.

Step Two • Purpose of Step Two is to teach students academic and social behaviors that are considered critical for success in school. • Students remain on Step Two for a minimum of 40 school days before they may petition to the next step. • Students are expected to meet certain criteria on Step Two: • Achieve greater or equal to 80% in each goal area. • Identify and begin using anger management strategy with staff prompts • Initiate age-appropriate interactions with staff and peers • Access school privileges appropriately

Step Three • Purpose of Step Three is to provide opportunities for repeated practice of critical academic and social behaviors learned on Step Two in the school and community. • Student begin to utilize taking time, problem solving, and making positive choices without staff prompts.

Step Three Continued • Students remain on Step Three for a minimum of 40 school days before petitioning to the next step. • Students may choose to petition to Step Four or the Transition Step.

Step Three Continued • Students are expected to meet certain criteria on Step Three: • Achieve greater than equal to 85% in each goal area • Maintain a ‘D’ or greater in all classes • Employ an anger management strategy consistently • Initiate age-appropriate interactions with staff and peers • Access school privileges appropriately

Step Four • Purpose is to allow students to continue in there educational placement at Centennial if the IEP team determines it is the most appropriate setting. The decision to remain at Centennial is re-examined periodically by the IEP team. • Students remain on Step Four until they are ready to move to Transition Step, graduate, or age out of the school setting.

Step Four Continued • Students are expected to meet certain criteria on Step Four: • Maintain a minimum of 90% in each goal area • Maintain a minimum of ‘C’ in all courses • Employ an anger management strategy independently and consistently • Self-manage appropriately and accurately

Transition Step • Purpose is to allow students to begin to practice critical skills in the less restrictive environment (e.g. vocational setting, home school, community) with assistance from Centennial Staff and other natural supports. • There is no set number of days for the transition set. Length of time is student dependent.

Transition Step Continued • Students are expected to meet certain criteria on the Transition Step: • Maintain a minimum of 90% in each goal area • Maintain a minimum of ‘C’ in all courses • Employ an anger management strategy independently and consistently • Self-manage appropriately and accurately

Social Skills Training at the Individual Level

Bringing it all together… Transfer of Learning - 3 Point Model 1. Imagine the Day 2. Reinforce Skills Taught 3. Reflect Back on the Day • Evaluation • Work? • Not Work?

Three Step Process / Closure 1. Apply to other Academic Areas 2. Involve Families 3. Create School-wide Activities that Reinforce Skills and Concepts

Conclusion… “Learning is something students do, NOT something done to students.” Alfie Kohn

Contact Information Maura Roberts (mlr6@lehigh.edu) Matthew Link (mjl7@lehigh.edu) Centennial School of Lehigh University 2196 Avenue C, LVIP I Bethlehem, PA 18017 (610)-266-6500

Social Skills Instruction & Practices