SOCIAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS
DR. LESLIE LOPEZ
SPRING 2021
HOW DO WE TAME THE SOCIAL
COMMUNICATION DRAGON?
How to Train Your Dragons 2, Dreamworks
THE SPELL
That will tame
the dragon!
Since there is not ONE profile, we will need
more than ONE intervention!
INTERVENTION CONSIDERATIONS
YES
• Make it functionally relevant
• School-age: Curriculum-relevant
•
•
language-based intervention
Naturalistic Teaching Strategies
(National Autism Center, 2015)
Apply cognitive linguistic skills across
modalities
•
Encourage self-evaluation, metacognitive
skills
• Self-Management (National Autism
Center, 2015)
•
Utilize Evidence-Based Practice (ASD,
language learning, reading disability
literature)
NO
• Out of context “processing”
interventions
• Constantly giving evaluative
feedback
• Only focusing on one aspect of
communication
• Testing rather than teaching
(Kamhi, 2014; Wallach, 2014)
TREATMENT METHODS
Consistent with the WHO (2001) framework, treatment is designed to
• capitalize on strengths and address weaknesses related to the core features of ASD;
• facilitate activities and participation by helping the individual acquire new communication
skills and strategies or modify existing skills; and
• modify contextual factors to reduce barriers and enhance facilitators of successful
communication and participation, including identification and use of appropriate
accommodations.
(ASHA Practice Portal, n.d.)
THE SCERTS MODEL
The SCERTS Model is a
comprehensive educational
approach used with children
of various ages, from
preschool through school age
(Prizant et al., 2006).
SCERTS: THE BIG PICTURE
• Multidisciplinary framework for working with children with ASD and families.
• Guides professionals in developing a plan to support the learning of children with ASD.
A Team Approach!
• Individual Assessment Based
• Focus is on “Social Communicative Competence”: functional, spontaneous
communication across activities, environments, and people.
(PRIZANT, WETHERBY, RUBIN, LAURENT, & RYDELL (2006
)
WHY FOCUS ON SOCIAL COMMUNICATIVE
COMPETENCE?
National Research Council findings point to this as a priority for educational goals. (Go to www.nap.edu for
complete committee report); vol 1 pp. 111-114.
Social communicative competence is predictive of later success (adult adaptive functioning).
As social communicative competence increases,
-Anxiety, depression, mental health disorders decrease.
-Behavioral difficulties may be prevented or decreased.
Target
GOALS OF
THE SCERTS
MODEL
Develop
• Target challenges in everyday settings and
activities.
• Develop a plan to provide many
opportunities for social communication,
choice-making, and relating with others.
Help
• Help the child stay in the ZONE for learning.
Plan
• Have a plan for all professionals to be on the
same page – team approach to prioritize
goals and strategies – SHARED PRIORITIES


Transitioning without
tantrums

Completing written
assignments
Sharing information in
class
T
T

T
SLP

SLP


Math
P.E./
Music/Art

Recess
Lang. Arts/
Reading
Answering oral and written
‘why’ and ‘what’s next”
questions appropriately
Priority Goals
Lunch
Arrival/
Bell work
Student: _____________

P/SpT
Peers



T
T/P
Peer
Buddy
Science/
Social Studies
Infused or Embedded Skills Grid

T/P
T/P


T
T

SLP

SLP
Adapted from: Beech, M., McKay, J.P., Barnitt, V., Orlando, C. (2002). Meaningful Participation: Planning Instruction
for Students with Significant Disabilities. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Dept. of Education.
T

T
SCERTS: BASIC PRINCIPLES
Fostering functional and spontaneous communication is the most
critical educational priority for children with ASD.
Natural routines across home, school, and community provide the
educational contexts for learning and for the development of
positive relationships.
Activities should be developmentally appropriate, functional, and
meaningful
Have meaningful measures of outcomes: beyond standardized
measures.
SCERTS: BASIC PRINCIPLES
All behavior is viewed as
purposeful. For children who
display unconventional or problem
behaviors, focus is on the function
of the behavior and development
of more appropriate ways to
accomplish those functions.
The way in which a communication
partner interacts with a child with
ASD and how an environment is
adapted with learning supports,
has a significant impact on that
child’s social communicative
competence.
SCERTS STAGES
Goals organized according to a continuum of three
developmental stages:
1) Social Partner: children who are not yet using a symbolic
system to communicate; use gestures/vocalizations
2) Language Partner: children who are using
language/symbolic means (pics, signs, symbols, words). Do not
yet carry on conversations. Can now use language to regulate
self, so can use first/then, timers, etc.
3) Conversational Partner: use language/symbolic systems in
reciprocal conversations.
SCERTS TARGETS
1.
2.
3.
Social Communication
Emotional Regulation
Transactional Supports
These three areas are targeted because
they “address the core challenges
associated with ASD”
SOCIAL
COMMUNICATION (SC)
• The primary challenge for many children with ASD
• Two aspects of SC:
1) Joint Attention: help children be reciprocal in communication; to truly be social
partners; “developing the ability to be a social partner in the dance of social
reciprocity and social communication” (Prizant, video)
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION (SC)
2) Symbol Use: the movement towards more conventional communication:
gestures to pictures to words to complex language; children with ASD have trouble with
developing abstract, symbolic systems;
Also part of Symbol Use: play abilities.
EXAMPLES OF JOINT ATTENTION GOALS
ACROSS STAGES
1
Engages in
reciprocal
interaction
2
3
Shares
attention
Shares
emotions
4
Shares
intentions for
a range of
functions
5
Persists and
repairs in
communication
6
Shares
experiences in
reciprocal
interaction
SOCIAL PARTNER:
JOINT ATTENTION
(SC PIECE OF “SCERTS”)
SOCIAL PARTNER:
JOINT ATTENTION
(SC PIECE OF
“SCERTS”)
CONVERSATIONAL
PARTNER:
JOINT ATTENTION
(SC PIECE OF “SCERTS”)
CONVERSATIONAL
PARTNER: SYMBOL USE
(SC PIECE OF “SCERTS”)
THE HANEN PROGRAM
INTERVENTIONS
MORE THAN WORDS
®
A PARENT-MEDIATED/PARENT-IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTION
Who Attends More Than Words?
Families of children with ASD
or social-communication
difficulties
Led by Hanen Certified SLP
PROGRAM
FEATURES
Offered to groups of parents (up to 8
families) of children with ASD
Supported by user-friendly resources
(parent guidebook, DVD, power point
slides with video examples)
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
• Parent education
• Early communication intervention
• Social support for parents
Three Major Components
1. Pre-program assessment and
baseline videotaping
2. Minimum of 17.5 hours of
group training for parents
3. Three individual video
feedback sessions for each
parent/family
MORE THAN WORDS
STRATEGIES
®
OWL – Observe, Wait, and Listen
Give your child a reason to communicate and wait
The Four “I”s – Include Your Child’s Interest,
Interpret, Imitate, Intrude
R.O.C.K. - Repetitive and Predictable; Outcome for
child; Cue when needed; Keep it fun, Keep it
going)
The Four “S”s – Say Less, Stress, Go Slow, Show
Visual Helpers
FOLLOWING YOUR CHILD’S LEAD
BEGINS WITH…
O
W
L
Observe your child
What is he doing?
Is he sending you a message?
Wait
Stop what you are doing
Listen to your child
Sounds/words
Is he happy? Is he sending you a message?
28
Four “I”s of
Interaction
• Include Your
Child’s Interests
• Interpret
• Imitate
• Intrude
29
LET’S
epeat what you say and do…
• to start
• to play
• to finish
Later…
e-phrase what you say
30
LET’S
ffer opportunities to send messages
• Stop what you are doing and
saying and wait for your child
to send a message
• Know when you will wait
• Know how many times you will wait
• Know how long you will wait
31
LET’S
ue if you need to
Cues to try first
• Give a hint
– Add a point or gesture
– Look at your child or the object
– Make a comment
If your child still needs help
• Get him started so he can do it
– Start the action/word and wait
– Add physical help
– Say the first couple of words
32
LET’S
eep it fun!
• Include sensory
eep it going!
• Longer
• With another person
• In another activity
Later…
eep it changing
• Don’t play it exactly
the same way every
time
Use the Four “I”s:
Include, Interpret, Imitate and Intrude
33
THE FOUR “S”S
Say less
and Stress
Go Slow
and Show
Repeat often
34
More Than Words Program Schedule
Pre-program consultation with each
family
1. Get to Know More About Your
Child’s Communication
2. Follow Your Child’s Lead
Video
3. Make the Connection with People
Games & Songs
More
Than
Words®
35
More Than Words Program Schedule
4. Help Your child Understand What
You Say; R.O.C.K. in Your Routines
5. Use Visual Helpers
Video
6. Bring on the Books
7. Take out the Toys
Video
8. Let’s Make Friends
More
Than
Words®
36
Parent tries out newly learned strategies in an everyday
activity with child
VIDEO FEEDBACK
SESSIONS
SLP coaches the parent as needed to help the parent
apply strategies successfully
Parent and SLP view videotaped interaction together –
SLP provides feedback to the parent, guiding discussion
in order to increase the parent’s awareness of his/her
interactive behavior and its’ impact on the child
PIVOTAL RESPONSE TRAINING:
ADDING RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
BASICS
• Pivotal response training (PRT) is a behavioral treatment intervention based on the principles of
applied behavior analysis (ABA).
• It is derived from the work of Koegel, Schreibman, Dunlap, Horner, and other researchers. It is a
composite of the research on task interspersal, direct reinforcement, and role of choice.
• PRT has demonstrated positive changes in these "pivotal behaviors" exhibiting widespread effects
on many other behaviors associated with language and social interaction. Pivotal Response Training
(PRT) provides a guideline for teaching skills and has been most successful for language, play and
social interaction skills in children with autism.
ISSUES
Motivation
• Children with ASD are difficult to motivate
• Restricted interests are part of the diagnosis
• Research suggests that motivation may be increased leading to a dramatic effect
upon the children's learning (Koegel, O'Dell, & Dunlap, in press).
ISSUES
Responsivity to multiple cues
• Attentional issues
• Stimulus overselectivity
• Lack of generalization
PRINCIPLE 1
• Instructional opportunity should be clear
• Instructional opportunity should be
appropriate to task
• Instructional opportunity should be
uninterrupted
• Child must be attending
Avoid overly complex verbal instructions
Avoid extraneous information
PRINCIPLE 1:
TIPS
Limit instructing across long distances
Try to give full attention
Ensure attention
Proximity
Pause
Add prosody, affect
PRINCIPLE 2
Intersperse tasks already mastered with tasks that are more challenging
• Increases motivation
• Increases self confidence
• Maintains previous skills
PRINCIPLE 2: TIPS
1
2
Start activities
with something
already
mastered
Get child on a
roll
3
Reinforce
verbally,
prosody, and
with affect
4
Intersperse
highly
successful
activities
PRINCIPLE 3
Provide a role in choice for the child
• Increases motivation
• Shared control promotes turn taking
PRINCIPLE 3: TIPS
Choices are available almost everywhere
• Play activity itself
• Order of activities
• Duration or number of activities
• Choices within activity
• Which song or book
• What color
• Crayon or marker
• Environmental
• Where to sit
• What to sit on
• Light on/off
PRINCIPLE 4
INCREASE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILD TO
RESPOND TO MULTIPLE CUES
PRINCIPLE 4: TIPS
Add
Increase
Substitute
Add descriptors
Increase discrimination responsibilities
Substitute paralinguistic information for verbal information
PRINCIPLE 5
ANY RESPONSE TO THE CHILD'S BEHAVIOR MUST BE
CONTINGENT UPON THE CORRECT BEHAVIOR OR ATTEMPT.
Response must be immediate
PRINCIPLE 5:
TIPS
Response must be appropriate
Never reinforce incorrect
Make sure to reinforce correct
PRINCIPLE 6
Any goal-directed attempt to respond to questions,
instructions, or opportunities
should be reinforced.
We don’t start out perfect
PRINCIPLE 6
Look for attempts
Successive approximations shapes
behavior
PRINCIPLE 7
Use natural reinforcers whenever possible
Children who don’t make natural connections don’t gain meaning when reinforcers
are disconnected with behavior