Social skill theory part 1

1. Identify current research in the area of social skill development theory.
Developmental theory Developmental theory is about teaching the skills needed that
the student with ASD has not developed or learned. This is usually functional skills. Teaching
the child to choice is a great way to initiate conversation and it will also teach the student with
ASD to communicate their wants and needs. This can be taught to all students. Choice also give
the student control even though the teachers picks the choices, then asks do you want this or
that? Then the student makes a choice. Another developmental theory point is when teaching
is occurring in the natural environment, with natural interactions, and natural consequences.
Natural consequences are more effective when teaching and shaping behaviors. The goals for
this theory are to teach generalization of skills.
When teaching individuals with ASD there is not one intervention that works well with
everyone. All individuals have an individual’s education plan. When teaching students with
ASD, there are several theoretical perspectives approaches that can be tried; behavioral theory,
developmental theory, and perceptual-cognitive theory. Many times several approached are
used together to help the individual to learn.
Behavioral theory is scientific based practices. There is a lot of data and research based
on the approaches. Behavioral theory approaches are applied behavioral Analysis (ABA),
Discrete Trial training (DTT) and incident training. When you are completing DTT, the teacher
will provide an antecedent (what happened before the behavior), then usually you will see the
behavior, then what is the consequences for that behavior. An example of DTT could be the
following. Define the behavior that you want to change. Now you will need to state a
replacement behavior (what do you want to see from the student with ASD?) Then, decide
how you will implement this in the classroom.
Example:
Behavior: loudly saying “Mom” when the teacher asks a question to the class.
Replacement behavior: Teaching the student to raise their hand, wait quietly.
Then define your procedure: When all the students sit down in their seats, a question will be
asked. (Does everyone have their homework done?) When the students raises his hand the
student will receive verbal praise, “You did a great job raising your hand.” and a pat on the
back.
Student yells, “Mom,” the teacher will calmly walk over to the student and ask him to raise his
hand and wait to be called on.

2. Behavior data can be immediately taken on the trial that was just given. The teacher will also
need to reward the student with ASD when he/she does raise the hand. Make sure you are
tracking the frequency of the replacement behavior.
With incidental training this occurs in the natural setting. When the teachers is teaching
and asking questions, the students responds to each question by yelling “mom,” the teacher
then teaches what she wants the student to do instead of yelling mom. This seems to occur
very naturally for the teachers. Again data can be collect of the frequency.
The difference between DTT and incidental training is that with DTT the teacher sets up
the environment and she knows she has to ask that question as soon as all the students sit
down. The environment is set up for these trials to occur. With incidental training you teach as
it occurs.
Describe common social skill deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Social skill skills deficits for individuals with ASD can be the following: Many people with ASD
do not understand nonverbal communication. They are not able to understand that when I
teacher gives “the look” that means to stop talking, or they do not understand when another
student stomps on the ground and makes a nasty look that means they are frustrated or upset.
The individual with ASD has a difficult time understand body language.
Social communication is what is being said with non verbal and verbal communication and
being able to understand the communicative intent. The social communication can be sign,
written words, facial expression, or gestures. Individuals with ASD do not read and
understand non verbal communication. They would not understand the nasty look on someone
face after they ate something that tasted horrible. They would not understand the teacher was
mad at them for interrupting when the teacher gave the index finger and a mean look.
Social initiation is when the individual with ASD may sit in the corner by themselves. It is
important the they are not shamed. Peer modeling has helped teach these skills. The peers in
the class can be taught to initiate conversation, invite the individual to the group, as well as
work on introducing each other. It is also important for the peers to ask questions to the
individual with ASD. Deficit is their inability to initiate interactions with others. Teachers could
also have the individuals who wants to initiate conversation at all times. The individual with
ASD may want to talk about their special topic of interest or answer the questions all the time.
There for the individual with ASD could initiate conversation all the time or they do not want to
initiate any conversation.
Social Reciprocity is another deficit that the individual with ASD is unable to give in take
in a conversation. Many times the conversation can be one sided with individuals with ASD.

3. They are unable to see the nonverbal body language when others do not want to hear about
their topic and they talk frequently and nonstop on the topic (Bellini 2007).
Social cognition is the last social communication deficit. The individual with ASD doe sot
understand the conversation at hand. They are unable to understand what is being said and
what it means. There is where individuals with ASD do not understand the unwritten rules of
social skills. The individuals with ASD do not understand jokes and sarcasms (Bellini 2007).
 Examples of Social Communication:
 The young lady that I am working with I use what she can already say and sign and use
that when we communicate together. I also use what she already knows by adding
more sign to her vocabulary and pair the sign with spoken words. Multi modes of
communication has helped her use the words in the correct context.
 Another example of social communication is watching a television program, stopping
the video and asking the individual what were they saying with their body. You are
teaching non verbal body language. You can also use video monitoring to teach non
verbal body language. Many times the individual with ADS needs a simple explanation
of what is expected and why.
Example of Social initiation:
 When the individual talks all the time it is important that boundaries are in place. Rules
with a social story can be written to address when it is OK to talk, when it is OK to
answer questions.
 Another example would be teaching a student how to engage themselves in a
conversation, how to start up a conversation with another person, and how to end a
conversation with another person.

4. Example: Social reciprocity is when the individual cannot give and take in a conversation.
 We can teach this with videotaping a conversation and pointing out with the individual
with ASD how the conversation is give and take.
 We can also teach this skill by playing games and showing how one person plays then
you have to wait for the other person to play.
 Another example to teach this in the classroomby giving a cue that is set up between
the teacher and the student with ASD. When the cue is given, this teaches the individual
with ASD that he needs to end the conversation and allow another person to talk.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RjRZ9jMfs0 This is how to teach an person to
give and take in a conversation.
Example Social cognition:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iTPPh1d2j8
 This clip is an animated social story about Keeping your hands to yourself but also
teaches turn taking. This social story touches base on not touching people without their
permission. This is a problem with individuals with ASD due to sensory issues as well as
not understanding social boundaries with others. This social story teachers what not to
do as well as the appropriate acceptable social skills when touching. This clip could be
used to show my young lady. She likes to touch people on the side and touch noses
without asking for permission. My young lady has limited speech, therefore, asking to
touch would be asking for a high 5 or by placing her hand out for the physical contact
from others.
 Another example could be an individual was asked to go sit down and they sit down
right down where they are. What was being communicated was please go sit down in
your seat. The individual with a ASD could think the teacher was meaning right there
and they take the conversation very literally.

5. Bellini, Scott Ph.D. (2011). Autism Spectrum Disorder Effective Instructional Practices. Upper
Saddle: NJ, Pearson Education.
WonderGrove Kids.(2014, July22). KeepYourHands to Yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iTPPh1d2j8
TD Social Skills Channel. (2012, March 11). Social Skills Training: Taking Turns Speaking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RjRZ9jMfs0