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:
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–
–
–
–
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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 whquestions, 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