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Successful Social Skills for Individuals with ASD
Students with autism or Asperger's Syndrome or related learning needs can have significant challenges in developing appropriate social skills. This department is filled with ideas to help teach appropriate skills for participating in social environments.
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Thinking Ahead: Anticipating Negative Situations with Children with Autism
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
What was a recent situation you had to deal with where you did not have a visual support? Could you have anticipated the situation? Is the situation likely to be repeated? Is there some kind of generic visual cue that could have helped? For example: "wait" or "something is going to change" or some other phrase that could work in a lot of situations. We can't anticipate every situation that requires our intervention. There will always be surprises. But planning ahead for those most common events and needs will create environments where students can become increasingly appropriate and successful. . . .
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Caity Meets Her Countdown Visual
Marianne Bryant
I'm sure you will all know what I am talking about when I re-tell this next story. Your child finally gets invited to a birthday party and then you begin to get nervous. There is this little tiny part of you that almost wishes it hadn't happened because of all the anxiety that you, the mom, will go through. I used to always worry about how Caity would . . .
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When Everything is the Not Same: Handling Change with Autistic Students
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
That is what the new school year feels like When a new school year begins, there are two common scenarios. One is where an autistic student makes a huge change. Going to a totally new school. Changing buildings. Like moving from elementary to middle school. This is not the kind of change we will be discussing. The second scenario is returning to where you were last year. It might be the same classroom or some place very near by. Perhaps it's a move across the hall to another room, but the rest of the surroundings are the same. Many teachers and school staff are the same. The school bus routine is the same. The lunch room ladies have returned. . . .
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Positive Effects of Owning a Dog for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Lauren Padgett
For someone with autism, a dog can be a great way to teach friendship, empathy and responsibility. When my autistic son Lucas was 16, his older brother left for college. Within a few months, my husband and I began to notice how much Lucas missed his big brother and best friend. There was no one at home to get Lucas laughing at stupid videos on the internet, or to gently harass him with a "You're It", beginning an impromptu game of tag through the house. And while my husband and I both tried our best to fill that gap, it was painfully obvious that Lucas was lonely without Robert here. How could we provide someone like Lucas with a true, genuine friendship? . . .
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What ARE Social Skills
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Learning social skills is challenging for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Social skills are identified as a prime area for educational intervention. But what are social skills? Before determining HOW to teach, it is critical to decide WHAT to teach. What areas need to be considered? Here are three core areas of social development. They encompass skills that lay a foundation for social relationships and social behavior. . . .
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Understanding and Preparing Autistic Students for Change by Spotting 'Transparent Information'
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
As a new school year begins, most students "go with the flow." They embrace everything new or different. Changes in rules and routines are mastered quickly. But most important, typical students quickly understand the transparent information that is a part of a new school year. Our students with communication or behavior challenges may not transition so easily. One of the reasons they have difficulty is transparent information. Transparent information refers to what we understand because it is obvious or we assume it. We just figure it out. . . .
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A Simple Solution: Tackling Common Life Activities with ASD Children
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Attending family activities, going shopping, participating in sporting events. . . all those things that families do. . . Sometimes they go well. . .sometimes not. Parents desire for their children to be a part of family activities. Yet parents can experience challenges trying to expose their children with special needs to those activities and opportunities that other children cherish and enjoy. A family outing or a special activity that should be fun ends up being a disaster. . . .
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What Can We Learn From Breakfast Wraps: Understand Learning Differences in Students with ASD
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Do you get my point? We all don't think alike or learn alike. Are you one of those people who reads all the directions and then follows them step-by-step? Or do you just figure it out without consulting them? Can you see how this applies to more than just breakfast wraps? Does your style match your students? Your own style will guide how you teach all those routines of life. The challenge is to pick the right steps to help each student succeed. . . .
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Re-Evaluating What We ASSUME Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Understand
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
So here's what we need to think about What information do we ASSUME our students know? This is an issue that can apply to ALL students. But those on the Autism Spectrum will be likely to experience more difficulty that others. Challenges in thinking, reasoning, observation, imitation, comprehension or related skills affect their ability to understand the assumed. Then I received a letter Linda: I attended your seminar last week. I found it very helpful. Last night my son (almost 6) had his first Little League game (our city has a league specifically for challenged kids) and it didn't take me long to realize that I had not done a good job in preparing him . . . . . .
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Having Guests and Visiting Others
Being a courteous host or a considerate guest are skills that take time to learn and refine. Below are some strategies to prepare children for having visitors and being a guest. . . .
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Autsim: Making Relationships a Priority
Paula Kluth
One of the biggest myths I hear in my work in inclusive education is about friendship. Teachers commonly share that they struggle to facilitate relationships during the middle and high school years because older students simply are not interested in socializing with students with disabilities. As one teacher told me, "When they are little, they are more accepting but as kids get older . . .
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Strategies for Teaching Children to Make Good Choices
Choice is a big part of people's lives. We decide daily what to wear, what to do, and how to treat people. Teaching children how to make good choices is critical for independence and self-control. This article focuses on a variety of strategies for teaching choice making. . . .
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