By Jed Baker, Ph.D.

This month, Dr. Jed Baker presents the second of two parts on how to help children with autism develop essential social skills.  This article outlines the five basic components of social skills training, and tips on how to make them work in a variety of situations. 
 

Dr. Jed Baker

Based on research findings, there are critical components of skills training that must be considered so that skills are taught effectively. I have outlined a flexible five-part model to address many of these issues.

1. Assessment: Prioritize relevant skill goals based on input from the student, parents and teachers

Recent research suggests that we focus on specific, relevant skills that a student needs and work on them for a longer period of time. I typically ask that students, caring professionals and family help prioritize three to four skills to work on for months at a time across settings. This is a manageable number of goals if we are going to require parents and teachers to consistently prompt these skills to ensure generalization across settings. To help articulate skill goals, I ask the student, teachers and parents to consider the following questions:

• What does the student do that might interfere with social interactions in specific settings? Examples might include violating others’ space, interrupting others, talking at others about their interests, imposing their wishes on others, avoiding frustrating work or handling disagreements in aggressive ways.
• What does the student not do that might interfere with social interactions in specific settings? Examples might include not responding to peers or teachers, not asking for help when needed, not managing their hygiene or dressing appropriately and not initiating interaction with others.

2. Motivation: Establish motivation to learn and use skills across settings
Keep in mind that just because we identify skill goals does not mean a student is motivated to learn those skills.

3. Initial skill acquisition: Teach skills using strategies that match the student’s language, cognitive and attention abilities.
There are two considerations in deciding how to teach skills to students:

• The type of strategy used depends on the symbolic language and cognitive skills of the students. Those with good abstract language skills can benefit from strategies in which skill steps are explained in addition to being modeled and prompted; whereas instructors must model and prompt the skill in the actual situation for students who have great deficits in abstract language.
• Where to teach the skills: in a group, classroom or individually. There is evidence that teaching in a classroom can increase generalization (Bellini et al., 2007). There are, however, benefits to smaller group instruction in which students have a chance to befriend each other.

4. Generalization: Coach students to use skills in natural settings and capitalize on interests and preferences

In addition to establishing contrived or intrinsic motivation to perform skills, students need reminders and coaching to perform their new skills in natural settings. In Bellini et al.’s (2007) review of skills training studies, coaching in natural situations was often a missing ingredient in social skills training efforts and one of the reasons for mediocre results.

5. Peer sensitivity training: Target typical peers as necessary to increase generalization, reduce isolation, increase opportunities for friendship and decrease bullying.

When students with autism have limited interactions with their peers, or worse yet are being teased, it is crucial that training of “typical” peers become part of the social skills intervention. Peers can be taught to be “helpers” or coaches to students with autism during play or work (Dunn, 2005). They can also be taught to be good “bystanders” by taking a protective role when their peers who are disabled are teased or bullied (Baker, 2003; 2005).

This is a modified version of an article which appeared in Autism Advocate, 2010, Vol. 58, No. 1.

Dr. Baker will be co-presenting (with Dr. Charles Cartwright, YAI Autism Center Director) a session entitled “No More Meltdowns: Handling Challenging Behaviors and Teaching Social Skills” at YAI’s International Conference, Tuesday, May 3, 2011.

The presentation will include how to design effective behavior plans to prevent meltdowns and reduce frustration and anxiety, detail strategies to motivate individuals on the autism spectrum to learn, ways to teach social skills, how to generalize skills into the natural setting, and increase acceptance and tolerance from peers. 

Jed Baker, Ph.D., directs the Social Skills Training Project in Maplewood, N.J. and is a member of the YAI Autism Advisory Council.  Dr. Baker also works as a consultant in schools across the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Baker is the author of five books on autism, behavior-management and adulthood preparations.