Characteristics of Autism Influencing Relationship Development

Strategies for Building Social Relationships

• Social – Understanding of social rules – Imitation – Coping skills

S. Michael Chapman • Communication – Expressing Interests – Language Demands of Relationships

Characteristics of Autism Influencing Relationship Development • Narrow Interests/Repetitive Behavior – Unusual Interests – Dominating Interaction with own Interest – Lack of Knowledge About Common Social Activities • Cognitive Characteristics – Organization – Concrete Thinking – Sequencing – Conceptual Development

• • • • •

Why is it Important for the Individual with autism to Develop Social Relationships?

Look at each individual’s needs or desires. Living Situation Job Success Community Personal Relationships

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Maintained Employment Earn

Job

Total Person View

Satisfaction

Money

Social

Recreation

Outlets

Fun Activities

Development of Recreational Activities

Development of Recreational Activities: Comparison between Vocational and Recreation

VOCATIONAL

RECREATION

• Assessment of Vocational Skills

• Assessment of Recreational Skills

• Job Development

• Recreational Development

• Job Site Training

• On Site Training

• Independence

• Independence

• Long Term Support

• Long Term Support

Increase Social Opportunities • Structured Activities with Peers • Clubs or Interests Groups • Social Groups

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Social Groups • Large Groups – Consists of 15-30 individuals with autism and a staff to participant ratio of 1:2 – Organization decides the activity for everyone

Social Group

• Small Groups – Consists of 4-6 individuals with autism and a staff to participant ratio of 1:3 – Group decides the activities for the semester

Social Group • Easter EGGstravaganza • Edible Art • T-Shirt art • Arts and Crafts • Games • Talent Shows • Dinner and a Movie

Tips for Successful Groups • Use consistent leaders and adequate participant to staff ratio • Split into small groups for activities with more social demands • Use consistent routines • Reduce verbal demands and increase visual cues in all activities

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Tips for Successful Groups • Become familiar with group members before they join • Leaders participate in all activities • Encourage members’ feeling of belonging to group

Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms

Strategies for Teaching Social Skills

Defining Relationships • What is a friend? • Who do you ask on dates? – What do you need to know before you ask someone out?

• What is a Boyfriend or Girlfriend? • What does it mean to be married? • What is a Stranger?

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Defining the Necessary Social Rules or Skills for a particular activity. • • • •

Present them Visually. Individualize Give a copy to the individual with autism Review the rules frequently

Guidelines for going to the Movie with a friend. 1. We agree on the movie. 2. We make a date to go (put time and place on my calendar). 3. When we go to the movie I sit with my friend and watch quietly. 4. We can talk while we are waiting for the movie to begin. 5. I am quiet when the previews begin and during the movie. 6. I can share my popcorn and snacks with my friend. 7. I can talk with my friend after the movie.

Line Rules 1. No Touching other kids.

Words to Live By

2. Stay behind John 3. Walk Quietly.

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Gaining Someone’s Attention

Jeff’s Rules (rules for adult working in a grocery store)

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Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting

• Answer questions from customers: Do not ask them if they need help. • Answer the question once. Then go back to work. • If you do not know the answer, send them to the information desk. Do not follow them to desk. • You work when you are clocked in. • You talk to people on break time.

TV Survey Look at each person in the group and ask them these questions:

1. Hi. What’s your name? 2. What TV Show do you like?

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Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting • Learn to take another’s perspective

1. What does the baby feel? 2. What makes you feel like this? 3. What makes _____ feel like this? 4. What is it like to feel like this? 5. What do you do when you feel like this?

Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting • Learn to take another’s perspective

Role Play Social Situation • Your friend is excited about wearing a new shirt. He asks you what you think of the shirt. You think it is an ugly shirt and don’t like the color. What do you do and say?

– Role Playing

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Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting • Learn to take another’s perspective

Social Stories • By Carol Gray • Social Stories are a visual method of social situations and the related social expectations for those situations.

– Role Playing – Video Tapes – Social Stories

Social Stories • • • • •

Identify the topic. Carefully observe the situation. Write each story twice. Write with respect for the individual with autism. Follow the formula of 3-6 descriptive, perspective or control sentences for every directive sentence. • Write based on the learning style of the person with autism.

Social Stories: Types of sentences. • Descriptive – Describe the situation, where the situation occurs, who and what is involved. • Perspective – describe the perspective of others. • Control – are written with the individual with autism, identifying simple strategies to use to recall information in a social story. • Directive – describe the expected response.

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Choosing a Game I play many games with my friends. We like to play basketball, tag, and other things. When I play with my friends we have to choose a game. Usually I like to choose the game. If I always choose the game, my friends might get bored. If they are bored, they won’t want to play. After I choose a game, I will let a friend have a choice. If we take turns choosing, we will have fun and my friends won’t be bored.

Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting • Learn to take another’s perspective – – – –

Role Playing Video Tapes Social Stories Comic Strip Conversations

Choosing a Game I play many games with my friends. We like to play basketball, tag, and other things. When I play with my friends we have to choose a game. Usually I like to choose the game. If I always choose the game, my friends might get bored. If they are bored, they won’t want to play.

• • • •

Descriptive Perspective Directive Control

After I choose a game, I will let a friend have a choice. If we take turns choosing, we will have fun and my friends won’t be bored.

Comic Strip Conversations • Carol Gray • Comic Strips conversations are a visual method of diagramming conversations using colors and simple drawings to clarify perspectives and social interactions for people with autism.

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Comic Strip Conversations Sample Questions: • • • • • • • •

Comic Strip Conversation Symbols

Where are you? Who else is here? What are you doing? What happened? What did others do? What did you say? What did others say? What did you think when you said that? What did others think when you said that/did that?

Comic Strip Conversation Colors • • • • • • • • •

Green: Red: Blue: Brown: Purple: Yellow: Black: Orange: Color

Good Ideas, Happy, Friendly Bad ideas, Teasing, Anger, Unfriendly Sad, Uncomfortable Comfortable, Cozy Proud Frightened Facts, Things We Know Questions Combinations; Confusion

Hello little Girl! You are so pretty! May I kiss your hand?

Okay.

Little Girl

Tommy

Held daughter close to her side while Tommy kissed girl’s hand.

What happened!

Little Girl’s Mother

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This little girl will like it when I kiss her hand. I like being nice to people.

Little Girl

Tommy This guy is so nice. I like it when he treats my daughter nicely

This little girl will like it when I kiss her hand. I like being nice to people.

I like it when this guy kisses my hand. He is very friendly.

What Tommy Thinks everyone is feeling.

Little Girl’s Mother

Strategies for Teaching Social Skills • Define Social Skills or Relationships in concrete terms • Scripting • Learn to take another’s perspective • Counseling • Safety/Vulnerability • Practice skills

This guy is very weird and scary. I wish he would go away.

Little Girl

Tommy This guy is scary. He might try to hurt my daughter. I need to call the police.

What everyone is really thinking and feeling.

Little Girl’s Mother

Counseling • Individual • Group • Case Management

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