Expected & Unexpected Behavior Worksheets

I've spend the first few weeks of school introducing Social Thinking to all my students. 

None of the materials I was using were really appropriate for my older elementary students but this is one of the foundational concepts we will use all year.   I wanted to make sure they could understand it. 

I used clipart specifically designed for the older age set. 

Use the included worksheets to facilitate conversations about Social Thinking skills. Use the worksheets to list expected and unexpected behaviors in each given situation. Pages 3-12 include given situations common for school. Pages 13-22 include blank sheets for your customization. 

Each page is structured with the Setting and spaces for writing.  

The is an example of a blank item included for your customization. 

You can purchase this item in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

Social Thinking: Getting Started

Last week I was chatting with ome other SLPs who are introducing Social Thinking programs for the first time. The big question was... where do I start? In past years, I've introduced a few concepts at a time as I added students and formed groups. This year was a little different since I'm starting with all new kids in my new district who aren't familiar with the program. In case you aren't familiar read my posts about the Social Thinking Curriculum by Michelle Garcia Winner to get caught up!

In all my groups (1-6th graders) this week I started with the book You are a Social Detective

 (Amazon Afflilitate Links included for your convenience below!)

This book is the PERFECT introduction. It's in comic book form and discusses the underlying vocabulary you need. Some kids will stay at this level for a while, while older kids might move on to the Superflex Curriculum pretty quickly.

At the beginning of the Social Detective Book, there is an emphasis on different kinds of 'smarts'. School smarts, musics smarts, social smarts, etc.!  I find it great way to talk about the need to work on social skills, especially when kids are resistant to talk about their weaknesses. I had them write two strengths and two weaknesses. 

I just found a brain picture and drew some lines throughout it. The kids decided which kinds of smarts they each had! 

I orded these stress balls this year for our group. I love that they are multi-colored like the different 'smarts' in our brains! 

These will make great fidgets, great models of our different smarts, plus they are flexible for our 'flexible vs. rock brain conversations' later down the road!

A few other new items I ordered for this year include these awesome brain pencil toppers! I'm hoping this will be a great way to be that visual reminder when kids head back into the classrooms! I think I'll even give teachers one to put on their desks! We all need visual cues to use our social thinking!




Another goofy toy I use a lot is another fidget or stressball toy. It's a brain with eyes that bulge out! These poppin' peepers are a great visual reminder to use while you emphasize the 'Eyes  in the Group' idea!

As you can tell, I'm into the multi-sensory materials this year! If you use Social Thinking, where do you start? How do you incorporate other materials into your speech room?

Superflex Curriculum {Social Thinking Review}

Are you a fighting Rock Brain today? Are you having difficulty exhibiting flexible thinking? Having trouble compromising? Making bad choices? Don't worry! Just call on your Superflex skills!

If that was all giberish to you, that's ok! Rock Brain and Superflex are characters in the Superflex Curriculum.

Michelle Garcia Winner  (MGW) is the author of the Social Thinking series. Social Thinking is a cognitive approach to social language. Rather than teaching individual social skills, MGW's program focuses on a treatment framework and curriculum for teaching social thinking. As a part of the Social Thinking Blogging Team, I've already shared a few resources with you. The Incredible Flexible You and Thinking about You, Thinking about Me have already become frequently used resources in my speech rooms.



Many of you responded to the Thinking about You, Thinking about Me post and commented that you were using MGW's framework and theory for treatment. When moving from theory and planning to treatment, MGW has plenty of materials.

For my early elementary students I start with the Social Detective comic book. I've had this book for several years and used it with children with Autism and ADHD. When moving past the primary grades, MGW and Stephanie Madrigal, MS, CCC-SLP, have developed the Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum.

The Superflex Curriculum includes 13 different lessons, with specific skills and lessons for each part. The purpose (as outlined in the book) of the Superhero Social Thinking (SST) curriculum is to provide  the social-thinking educator, teacher or parent with a fun, motivating, and non-threatening way for our students to explore social thinking while increase their knowledge of social expectations, their awareness of their own behavior and how to modify their behaviors with Superflexible strategies.

Superflex is the social hero! He uses a flexible brain and skills to outsmart the Team of Unthinkables! The Unthinkables are full of powers that sometimes come over our brains. We have to do our best to avoid Rock Brain by using our Superflex Strategies.

Glass Man is one of the Unthinkables. He lets a person be flexible to some extent, but then, all of a sudden he just breaks. He doesn't melt down slowly, he quickly starts getting very upset. Glass Man usually thinks things aren't "fair". Space Invader is a character makes the person's body move into other people's personal space, not realizing how uncomfortable this makes others feel. The group of Unthinkables can be added to in order to meet your own students' needs.

There is also a comic book that accompanies the program. Here are a few screen shots from the comic book.

So let's walk through what a lesson looks like. This is a peek at Lesson #2

The lesson lays out the materials, vocabulary and activities. This activity focuses on the role of the brain. Students make a gelatin mold of the brain. This lesson is a great time to talk about using the brain for 'knowing' 'seeing' and 'understanding' in addition to its motor control of our bodies! 

Source: In Spontaneous Speech

The lesson asks student to make a gelatin mold and insert pieces of paper with examples of brain functions (breathe, move legs, make good choices, etc.) The lesson focuses on undertand the power of brain and explore flexible thinking. I borrowed this photo from In Spontaneous Speech, who has a post about making the flexible brain with her group! I can't wait to make it with my Social Group this year! 

A handout is included for each lesson. 

There is also a homework page included for each lesson. 

Pros: I love that the curriculum is very specific. It lays the framework for instruction, but also lets the teachers/SLPs add to the program and personalize it for each student. I am already dreaming up more Unthinkables for my specific students. 

Cons: While the lessons are detailed, they do require carryover from parents and teachers to be fully implemented. This vocabulary will need to be used throughout the child's life. I wish the program had more carryover pieces. This could include strategy cards for teachers carryover strategies. 

The Superflex program is available at the Social Thinking website or on Amazon.

Luckily I'm not the only one using Superflex. Here are just a few resources I found when I searched this afternoon.

Pinterest Page Mary Keiger (check out all her boards that related to social skills)
Jello Brain Example by In Spontaneous Speech
Jello Brain Example by Adventures Outside the Box
Daira's Pinterest Page
Patti's Pinterest Page.
Angela's website has a lot of social lessons (my favorite is Superflex 'headbanz" game adaptation)

Thinking About You, Thinking About Me {Social Thinking Review}

If you're a Speech-Language Pathologist I hope the words 'Social Thinking' aren't new to you. 

Michelle Garcia Winner is one of those rockstars in our field that I'd love to sit and chat with!  For years, I've been borrowing all the books I could get my hands on that deal with social skills from other SLPs. Earlier in 2013 I joined the Social Thinking Blogging Team, giving me the opportunity to check out their products and review them for you! I loved the Incredible Flexible You Program and have been slowly reading one of the foundational books in Winner's library: Thinking about You, Thinking about Me. I was provided with a copy of this program for review. These thoughts and opinions are all mine. 

So...let's talk about what this book features and if it's right for you. This book is right for.... everyone. It's perfect for new SLPs, SLPs who haven't been practicing a lot of social instruction, SLPs who feel like they need to brush up on the latest EBP for social language instruction. 

Winner outlines a foundation for her point of view on social cognitive deficits and their assessment and treatment. The book focuses on the four steps of communication outlined by Winner. These include perspective taking, establishing physical presence, thinking with your eyes, and 

using language to develop and sustain relationships. In each of these sections Winner provides background and theory. She then provides ways to teach the skills, treatment ideas (many in each section!) and suggested goals. 

For bright children with high-level language skills, Winner suggests cognitive behavioral approach to behavior. Meaning the child is instructed to think about the behaviors. This is different than a Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach that is often more appropriate with lower functioning clients. Winner has created an approach called Social Behavior Mapping (SBM) as a tool to teach more abstract concepts. Templates and visuals for this section are included. SBM includes some buzz words that you've likely heard, such as 'expected/unexpected behaviors'. The big idea for SBMs is pairing visuals and concrete materials so that clients can identify how actions impact self and others.

Other included activities includes: 

-The 'Me' Binder (helping students understand their IEP, goals, and service providers)

-Understanding the Social Thinking Assessment Protocol

-Standards Assessments: Comments & Critiques

-Winner includes a sample report and template to help SLPs incorporate standardized assessment with clinical frameworks to describe a students social skill deficits. 

Ready for a picture montage? Here are some snippets and favorites: 

Each chapter includes ideas of treatment.

Several of the activities feature handouts. 

I loved looking at the goal lists for each skill. 

Pros: Winner includes theory, relevant research, intervention activities and suggested goals for a social cognitive approach to social development. This program is practical in it's suggestions. I love the real life clinical examples provided in each section. Multiple times in the book, I found myself wishing I had read this program 3 years ago, as my experiences matched those examples in the book. I highly recommend this book. If you're looking for a reference that includes practical ideas that are research based you've found it in Thinking about You, Thinking about Me. 

Cons: This books has a ton of ideas that develop the foundation for Winner's other programs. The only con you might find it that if you haven't purchased other programs, you're going to be busy developing new materials to match her program. The book is heavy on theory and activity ideas, but light on actual activities to print/go. Look to her other programs for those products. The other difficulty of this program is its scope of practice. SLPs will find they need to use another program for the lower end of their caseload. While social thinking applies to children with average to above average language skills, tt likely won't meet all the needs for your social skills caseload. 

The book can be purchased for $48 dollars on the Social Thinking website. It's a bargain for all the information included. If you work on social skills, run, don't walk, to add it to your library. 

Have you used this book before? Are there other Social Thinking books you can't live without?

The Incredible Flexible You: Preschool Social Curriculum

It's Monday in preschool. If you scan around the room you might hear and see some things like this:

A group of kids are building a train track around the carpet. 3 kids are adding to the track, but little Jack is facing the wall stacking his track pieces in a pile to see how high he can get it. Jack's friends are not happy because they can't finish their track without all the pieces.

Ellie interrupts constantly at circle time and answers every question the teacher poses. 

 A group of 3 five year olds are playing in dramatic play. Each student is playing Mom, Dad and Baby. 'Mom' is cleaning the kitchen and 'Dad' is mowing the lawn. The little girl playing 'Baby' says, 'Hey Dad, I raked the leaves.' The other two kids turn and say "Hey! You're Baby you can't rake!"

Social skills can often be difficult to build in preschool students. Most special education classrooms are filled with SLPs, OTs, PTs, Intervention Specialists and paraprofessionals working on social skills in individual sessions, small group work and whole group. Social skills permeate all areas of the curriculum and having a consistant curriculum and vocabulary across the preschool day gives each specialists the ability to provided consistant instruction. The key is having a program that consistently builds on the concepts and vocabulary.

At the end of the spring I was contacted by the Social Thinking company. If you've purchased any of my social activities, you can tell I'm a fan of Michelle Garcia Winner's work. I regularly use their curriculum with my elementary aged students and was really excited to test out their new preschool curriculum, The Incredible Flexible You.

The program uses same terminology and philosophy as the programs for older students, but in language and scenarios more appropriate for their age. 

Back in the Fall at a local schools conference I attended a session, by Nancy Tarshis, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, about a this new curriculum, that wasn't even on the market yet. The Incredible Flexible You is a two part series that includes lesson plans, activities and music for preschool and early elementary aged students.

The basis of the program are 10 story books. They each feature four characters (Jessie, Ellie, Evan, and Molly) who experience social interactions in various settings. The problems and environments will be familiar to your students, making it easy to draw connections.

Volume 1 features 5 story books and curriculum for the following social skills: Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings, The Group Plan, Thinking with Your Eyes, Body in the Group and Whole Body Listening.

The program doesn't stop at just a book for teaching social skills. Each lesson is laid out with instruction to teach social thinking. Unlike teaching a specific social skill, social thinking is not expecting learning for mastery. Social learning is something we do all over our lifespan. When we teach the different concepts and how they go together we are teaching our students how the nuerotypical brain learns social information intuitively.

To use the program, start with introducing the vocabulary using The Incredible Flexible You Storybook for that lesson. For example, let's use the lesson: The Group Plan. Read the curriculum information including the definition and the reason for teaching the concept.

Prepare the activities (an apple game, obstacle course, egg game, and cooking items). Start by reading the story to your group. Stop at each point in the book where you see a 'teaching moment' indicated by the icon. Use the lesson plan to help you identify all the teachable moments. During circle time I also used the accompanying music. It made a nice interactive moment for all the students, even the ones who were a bit young for the lesson.

After you read the book you can use some of the structured activities you prepared in advance to reinforce the concepts. I didn't have time to cut out these apples for the lesson, so I just used the ones from my Attribute Apples Box.

Next use the ideas listed to facilitate dramatic play that incorporates the skills discussed in the lesson. The lesson plan guide even lists easy ways to incorporate the vocabulary into the classroom. For example, " Jenna is following the plan and sitting in the circle."

Send home the family letter to encourage carryover and consistency of the program.

Pros: The philosophy of teaching social thinkings, instead of isolated social skills is fantastic. I have needed a social curriculum that matches my elementary programs for consistency. I appreciate that the book give specific details for teaching moments, extension activities and carryover. This is an excellent way to help those who are not SLPs use to the program with ease and therefore 'buy-in' to the program. I love that I've been able to use it with my K and first graders too!

Cons: I work in an integrated program, meaning I have children of many different levels. The program is designed for more high functioning students with 'average to way above average language and learning ability'. While it's a wonderful program for some of my students its not one size fits all. I'd love to see another program developed to accompany TIFY that addressed those more foundational skills in a systematic way.

I guess the true test of any product I review is, "would you recommend it to your SLP friends?" Last week at our preschool meeting I brought in my copies for everyone to look at and The Incredible Flexible You program got added to our product orders for next year! I'd say that explains how I feel about it! This is one product you don't want to miss!


The Incredible Flexible You is available on the Social Thinking website. Version 1 retails for $99.50 including the music.

The fine print: This product was provided by Social Thinking for Review. No other compensation was provided and the opinions expressed are solely mine. 

Social Problem Solving {App Review Roundup}

 Have you been keeping up as Super Duper Pub. publishes their Fun Decks as apps? I went through my list to see which ones I didn't have yet, and noticed I was missing many of the social problem solving apps! The apps reviewed here are a combination of WH question and problem solving apps. I even threw in a following directions activity because it works on some of the same receptive language skills!

SD has added more and more features in its recent updates. Most notably: the ability to keep data after a game is ended.

What Would You Do At School If....

(2.99) This card deck includes 56 illustrated picture flash cards. Each card presents a scenario. The student must answer what he/she would do in these situations! Cards include, "What would you do if you needed to go to the bathroom during a test? and What would you do if during class, a friend wanted you to pass notes for him?"

What Would You Do At Home if...

(2.99) This card deck includes 56 question probes. Students are presented with social situations and make decisions about how to handle situations that would happen in the home.

Following Directions

($2.99) This activity features 52 cards, with single step directions. This app is perfect for young students. If you combine multiple cards you can add temporal concepts and multi-step directions.

WH Questions at School

(2.99) Includes 56 cards and the ability to track data. A variety of school based questions are included (Who is your principal? When does school dismiss?) 

WH Questions at Home

($2.99) The 56 cards in this app target WH questions that include household topics. Each student looks at an illustration on the screen and either reads the prompt or touches the screen to listen to the prompt. The student gives a verbal response. The clinician then taps the green or red button to score the student's verbal response.

The bottom line...

Pros: The new data collection is much more up to par with other SLP apps. I think the price is unbeatable for valuable clinic tools. Having everything on the ipad just make life easier to travel, even down the hall!


Cons: I wish the decks included NEW cards, not just repeats of the tangible product. It's an opportunity for updates materials that my students haven't already seen.

Disclosure statement: Super Duper provided copies of the included apps for review. No other compensation was provided.

February Features: Preschool Social Skills

Today I've asked Liz from SpeechLadyLiz to share with you! She's working in a clinic so social skills for the preschool crowd is part of her every day! 

I’ve been asked many times, “How do you work on pragmatics with preschoolers?”  It’s hard because you can’t be as direct as you can be with older children.  I work in a preschool and almost every single one of the children I work with has a pragmatic goal.  Along with that pragmatic goal there are always play goals.  So in my opinion, how do you work on pragmatics with preschoolers….play, play, play.  I recently had a conversation with another SLP who works in the schools.  She said the last thing I have time for is working on play.  Everyone around us was totally bored with our conversation or otherwise I might have flipped the table over and said “What???”  Play with preschoolers is probably the most important thing you can do.  What can you get from play you might ask? Narration, conversational turn-taking, following directions, commenting, initiating, asking questions, awareness, inhibition, attention and the list goes on and on.  I have the luxury of getting to see my kids for 4+ hours a week and 2 hours at a time, so I’m able to really bombard them with language related to our theme.  I figured I’d give you all a rundown on how I work on play and pragmatics with a specific theme. 

Playing With Baby Dolls

During circle time I like to go over the vocabulary and have each child repeat the vocabulary we are targeting that week.  Preschoolers=visuals, so I have this visual(freebie!) below to talk about all the things we can do with the targeted toy.  I also bring the toy into circle time and show them how to play with the toy properly.

 

Once we’ve practiced how to play with the toy in a more structured, facilitated environment, then we go to free play with the toy.  I have seen a lot of carryover of the skills taught into these play sessions.  The first time a child has a successful interaction with a peer and they see the importance of these interactions it's amazing! During the free play time I like it to be more controlled by me (I’m an SLP after all) and I do that by having a focused activity. 

  

Bathe the baby

I usually grab our sensory bins, some soap, a rubber ducky or two and a towel and let the kids go at it with baby bath time.  I purposefully only have one baby doll to use so that they have to take turns and work together to give the baby a bath.  This is also a wonderful opportunity to work on receptive language through identification of body parts and following directions.  Kids love to play with water plain and simple, so I generally hear a lot of spontaneous language during these types of activities.   

Diapering the baby

Warning: This activity gets pretty messy (but super fun!).  I have gotten over the whole, “Let’s keep my classroom spotless.” idea that used to inhabit my brain.  That is good with this activity, because baby powder gets everywhere (at least it smells good).  I let the kids go to town with the baby powder, lotion and wipes.  Let me tell you they love this activity (especially the boys).  Again this is a wonderful opportunity for turn-taking, team work, inhibition, receptive language etc. 


Some additional activities that are fun to do are painting with baby bottles.

Put paint in a baby bottle and then the kids can shake and squeeze to get the paint on the paper.

Make a sock baby.

All you need is a sock, ribbon, stuffing and sharpies.  This is a great take-home so kids can take it home and parents can help carryover those play skills at home.

Find those directions here.

What I’ve come to learn is you can’t force friendships with children just like you can’t as an adult.  So to help children understand the importance of friendships you have to create fun and engagement between them.  Pragmatics is one of the most important aspects of our job as an SLP.  We want our children to be social butterflies and have friends and successful social interactions.  Play is the way to get that start.  It’s not only a very important part of what we do, it’s an essential part of what we do.  It’s also pretty fun and entertaining too.

Check out my “How To Play With Cars” post here.