Social Skills Group
The scientific teaching methods of Applied Behavior Analysis are utilized to effectively teach social skills within our social skills groups as well as peer play dates. The central goal of our social skills group is to pair other children with fun, reinforcing activities so that other children become more reinforcing and social interaction becomes more enjoyable, thus encouraging further appropriate social interaction and friendships. Each child’s direct interventionist accompanies them to social skills group. Goals targeted in group are individualized to each child’s specific needs, but we also target the broader deficits common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. A scaffolding technique is used where the therapist will prompt the child when needed but will fade back and allow the child to interact independently when appropriate interaction is occurring. A fun, upbeat environment is maintained to encourage social engagement and foster friendships.
Areas of Focus In Social Skills Group
We focus on individualized goals per each learner's specific areas of need. Positive social interactions are contrived and encouraged for learners and their peers through interactive, cooperative play and fun social activities.
The following are areas of focus in our social skill training:
The following are areas of focus in our social skill training:
- Interactive play
- Initiating play
- Reciprocal play
- Tolerating changes to play
- Turn taking
- Attention/Attending
- Following directions/ rules of games
- Social communication
- Functional communication
- Initiating conversation
- Appropriate eye contact and body position when speaking and listening
- Assertiveness
- Identifying and understanding social cues
- Identifying and understanding non verbal communication
- Understanding and using appropriate personal boundaries
- Identifying and using appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior
- Rule following
- Coping skills and strategies
- Reduction of problem behaviors
Autism Social Skills Program
Learning to make and keep friends is crucial in every child’s life. Social skills lessons at Morning Star ABA Therapy provide direct instruction in functional social skills and opportunities to practice skills in a safe environment. Many children and adolescents on the Autism spectrum have a difficult time understanding and using social skills. They may have difficulty learning to respond to social cues. Social skills include everything from joint attention, eye contact, body posture/position, greetings and understanding the theory of mind and feelings of self and others. Social skills also include basic social rules and general behavioral expectations in different social environments. Social skills have a large impact on a person’s life and can affect the ability of a person on the autism spectrum to make and maintain friendships as well as participate in school, work and society.
Morning Star ABA Therapy's autism social skills plan is built on a working relationship between parents, the ABA therapist and the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Supervisor. The team works together to identify specific social skill deficits for intervention. Once the social skill deficits are identified the team determines the most appropriate place for intervention to occur.
Morning Star ABA Therapy's autism social skills plan is built on a working relationship between parents, the ABA therapist and the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Supervisor. The team works together to identify specific social skill deficits for intervention. Once the social skill deficits are identified the team determines the most appropriate place for intervention to occur.
ABA Strategies used in Social Skills Training
We use a variety of positive behavior support strategies in our social skills training including proactive (before a problem behavior occurs) and reactive (after problem behavior occurs) strategies. We work to prevent and reduce problem social behaviors while reinforcing and increasing appropriate social behaviors. We set up many opportunities for appropriate social engagement so the learner can practice newly learned social skills.
The following are common strategies used in our social skills training:
The following are common strategies used in our social skills training:
- Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)
- Natural Environment Teaching (NET)
- Scaffolding
- Proactive strategies (social stories, role play, priming)
- Verbal Behavior Training
- Extinction per function
- Planned ignoring
- Redirection
- Behavior contracts
- Token systems
- Positive behavior support
