Social Language Groups at Miner School

Presented By:Christina Dudgeon

&Maura Kramer

Background Information• Miner School Population

– Therapeutic day school setting– Elementary through transition– Wide range of special needs including autism spectrum disorders,

behavioral disorders, cognitive disabilities, physical/health impairments, and multiple disabilities

• Who is involved?– Speech-Language Pathologists and Classroom Therapists (Social

Worker, Psychologists)– Teachers and Assistants– Students

Logistics

• Social skills groups meet once a week to explicitly teach and practice the targeted skill

• Classrooms carry-over skills through review (morning meeting, etc.) and incidental teaching

• Visuals are posted throughout the school to promote generalization

• Coordination with PBIS interventions

Rationale

• Why have a school-wide social skills curriculum?– Appropriate social behavior can be taught the

same way academic skills are taught – All staff and students are aware of expectations

and demonstrate, explain, and practice the skills across all school settings on a daily basis

– Peer modeling-Higher functioning students are able to model for lower students

Universal Themes• Each classroom is working on the same theme, or unit, at

the same time.• Each unit lasts about a month.• Materials are adapted/differentiated to meet student needs.• Themes include:

– Introductions and Greetings– Emotions– Self-Regulation (5-Point Scale)– Hygiene and Health– Relationships– Leisure

Group Example - CIRCLES

• The CIRCLES Program (Champagne, M.P. & Walker-Hirsh, L.) was developed to teach the concepts of relationships and social boundaries to students with disabilities

Group Example - CIRCLES

• Each colored circle represents a different type of relationship (e.g. family, friends, community helpers, strangers, etc.)

• The Three T’s: Touch, Talk, & Trust

Group Example - CIRCLES• Visuals

Group Example - CIRCLES

• Group Dynamics– 10 high school students– Range of disabilities, including Autism Spectrum

Disorders (ASD), emotional/behavioral disorders, cognitive disabilities, other health impairments, etc.

– Range of functioning

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Schedule– Displayed on Smartboard– Each student has a personal binder with the

schedule and all group materials– Students update schedules by crossing off

activities as they are completed during the group

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Rules – aligned with school-wide PBIS rules

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Check-in procedures

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Check-in script

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Activity 1 – Story– Students take turns reading each page– Group leaders assess student comprehension

throughout reading (simple yes/no or wh- questions, asking students to point to pictures, etc.)

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Sensory Break (one minute)– Students choose a sensory activity to complete in

the room (e.g. wall push-ups, hold sensory items, theraputty, bounce on exercise ball, etc.)

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Activity 2 – Color Circles– Each student colors the blue circle in his/her

personal circles chart

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Activity 3 – People in My Family– Students complete the worksheet and share the

information with the group

Group Example – BLUE CIRCLE

• Check-out

Group Example-Greetings

• Group Dynamics– Six Middle School Students– Range of disabilities, including ASD, Down

Syndrome, OHI, emotional/behavioral disorders– AAC Users (4 high-tech, one PECS, one low-tech

communication book)– Schedule and activities displayed on Smartboard

and manipulated by students– Frequent movement/sensory breaks

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Greetings

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Group Example-Five Point Scale

Five Point Scale-IEP Goals

• When presented with visual supports (i.e., Five-Point Scale) Student will independently identify his feelings/level of arousal (i.e., “I am three - control and ready to work,” “I feel nervous,” etc.) and utilize a corresponding sensory strategy on 4/5 data collection opportunities by Annual Review 2015.

Our Next Steps…

• Increase classroom carryover of skills taught in group

• Pre and post assessment for the year to show student growth– CELF Pragmatics Profile– NSSEO Social Language Team Input Form– Moving Toward Functional Social Competence