Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
What’s our plan?
Nido School and
Social Thinking
What is social thinking?
Understanding learning
styles and autism
Why is behavior NOT
behavior?
Presented by Nancy Tarshis MA, MS CCC/SLP
A common language
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Finding common ground: What is social?
Where do we start??
What do you expect your students bring to
school that supports them in their play and
classroom learning?
• Sharing space effectively with others
• Does not necessarily equate to a “fun" situation
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What is Social Thinking?
What are social skills?
Adapting effectively to achieve
our own social goals and
those of others from situation
to situation!
Utilizing your social thinking then adapting what you say and do (or
don’t say and do) to encourage people to think about you or your
intentions in the manner you had hoped.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
The ability to interpret
social information
Why do we use our social
thinking?
•
To impact how we make people think and feel
which then impacts how they think and feel
about us.
•
•
•
It’s what keeps us connected to others,
helps us share space effectively, think
flexibly and act collaboratively.
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•
What do you know about the situation
based on your life experience?
What do you know about the people or
other living creatures in the situation?
What do you remember in your own
experience that is similar?
How do you interpret the information
based on what you know and
remember?
How do you explain what you have
interpreted so others can understand?
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The video incorporates:
World knowledge
Social Attention
Point of view
Imagination
Consider how this relates to:
Reading comprehension
Written expression
Expressive language
Group Work
What does it take to understand this clip?
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What I notice or observe:
Where am I?
Who is here? What is happening?
What is important to notice?
Knowing all that, how does it inform our understanding of social
competencies?
Using an iceberg as an analogy, in the social world we tend to only see
social behaviors; but there is so much more going on below the surface.
Respond
Problem Solve
Social Behaviors
Interpret
Attend
Introducing Social Thinking’s
Social Competency Model
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Social Interpretation
Me + Others:
What does it mean?
What is the plan? How are others feeling?
Respond
What are they thinking?
How are we thinking and feeling
about each other?
Problem Solve
1. World knowledge
2. Situational awareness?
3. Who am I?
4. Who are the people?
5. What are their intentions?
6. Basic emotions
7. Self-conscious emotions
8. Basic theory of mind
Interpret
9. Advanced, applied,
spontaneous theory of mind
Attend
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
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For Example:
How does your
brain make
sense of this?
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Respond
What do I do?:
What are my choices? What if I….?
How can I get what I want?
How can I get what I need?
Respond
Problem
Solve
Social Behaviors/Skills:
What I do/don’t do
What I say/don’t say
The idea I now have
How I understand something
Problem Solve
Interpret
Interpret
Attend
Attend
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Learning in a group
means balancing
our own needs with
the collective needs
of the group
This is inherently an
executive function
task
Our Social Mind
Our SOCIAL BRAIN is
Is our meaning
our meaning maker.
maker
We use it to make sense of information in the
social world.
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Me
Others
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Balancing Me &
We requires:
Social
Competencies
Problem
Solving
Mental
Flexibility
Self
Regulation
Perspective
Taking
• Figuring out intentions (mine and yours).
• Taking perspective (how do we each think and
feel?)
What is social thinking?
• We imagine the consequences of our future
action.
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• Based on our imagination and interpretations
we decide how to proceed.
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Social learning is innate.
Babies are born with fundamental
social abilities, which are pruned,
shaped, encouraged and developed
with their caregivers.
Human beings are neurologically hard-wired to
process this information!
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
How this relates to
educational standards
Take Perspective
Cooperate and Negotiate
Actively engages in play as a means of exploration and learning
Only to arrive at
preschool, ready
to learn!
Share an imagination
Actively engages in problem solving
Recognizes him/herself as a unique individual having his or her own
abilities, feeling and interests
Read other people’s plans
Regulates his/her responses to needs, feelings and events
Develops positive relationships with peers
Learn as part of a group
Demonstrates prosocial problem-solving skills in social interactions
Demonstrate that they are motivated to communicate
Share Space
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Social Thinking
IS Academic
Thinking
How this relates to
educational standards-2
Social emotional learning and
academic learning are often
viewed in separate silos which
makes us believe we must
choose which one is more
important.
Demonstrates that he/she understands what they observe
Demonstrates his/her ability to express ideas using a variety of methods
With prompting and support, make connections between self, text and the
world around them
With guidance and support participate in collaborative conversation with
Or you might think that SEL
happens or should happen
outside of academics.
diverse partners on a range of pre-kindergarten topics and texts with peers
and adults in small and large groups
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The reality is that sound academic instruction includes
SEL which is embedded in the academic standards.
Understanding
learning styles
Not only that, but schools who embed SEL into their
school day have been shown to have a related increase in
academic scores (Durlak et al., 2011) and
https://casel.org/impact/
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Initiation of language
to ask for help
ILAUGH Model
I =Initiation of language to ask for help
L=Listening with ears, eyes and brain
A=Abstract and inferential thinking
U=Understanding perspective
G=Getting the big picture (Gestalt Processing)
H=Humor and human relatedness
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Needing or wanting to do
something that is not routine.
How do kids learn to ask for help?
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ILAUGH Model
• Difficulty joining groups
• (Free time, unstructured
time in extra-curricular
activities, walking laps
around school before the
bell rings instead of
hanging out by lockers)
• Difficulty entering a
conversation
I =Initiation of language to ask for help
L=Listening with ears, eyes and brain
A=Abstract and inferential thinking
U=Understanding perspective
G=Getting the big picture (Gestalt Processing)
H=Humor and human relatedness
• In group work, may not
participate or only know how
to direct others, challenges
negotiating
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Listening with
Eyes and Brain:
L = Listening with
Ears, Eyes and Brain
Not just hearing the words…
• Observing where we are, who is there and
what is happening and making logical
connections in our heads to what it all
means
• Observing others to
determine the culture of the
environment
• Difficulty with “listening”
• Auditory processing skills
• Attention differences
• Gaining further information with eyes
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• Understanding when it is
time to talk (comment, ask a
question, take a turn, etc.)
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6
Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
What happens when we simply tell students to
look at me, to use “eye-contact”?
We use our eyes for
many different reasons
in communication.
We need to encourage students to
understand the WHY!
• With our eyes we can:
• Gather clues
• Consider other’s point of
view
• Pay respect
• Be rude
• Ignore people
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We say “Think with your eyes” to guide
them to attend and interpret the
situation.
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ILAUGH Model
A = Abstract and
Inferential Thinking
I =Initiation of language to ask for help
L=Listening with ears, eyes and brain
A=Abstract and inferential thinking
U=Understanding perspective
G=Getting the big picture (Gestalt Processing)
H=Humor and human relatedness
• Literal thinking in a world full of
abstraction
• Difficulty with inference è
making predictions (guesses)
• Challenges with the unknown
• Preference for sameness
• Difficulty with non-verbal
communication
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Abstractness of
Communication:
ILAUGH Model
• Facial expression, body
language, tone and inflection of
voice
• The message disappears as
soon as it is said
• All the above must be
processed simultaneously
I =Initiation of language to ask for help
L=Listening with ears, eyes and brain
A=Abstract and inferential thinking
U=Understanding perspective
G=Getting the big picture (Gestalt Processing)
H=Humor and human relatedness
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
“Call Mom” – YouTube
We always make sense
to ourselves!
But communication only
makes sense when the
communicative partners
are considering each
other’s perspectives
(thoughts and
emotions)!
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Perspective Taking considers your own and others…
• Thoughts and Emotions
• Motives/Intentions (physical & language based)
• Prior Knowledge/Experiences (confusing to ask/tell
someone something they already know)
• Belief Systems
• Personality
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Our active perspectivetaking is a cognitive
affective tool kit which
helps us to self-regulate.
Why don’t we just
scream at people in
difficult meetings?
46
Name 3 ways a challenge with
perspective- taking might impact
language arts or humanities?
Perspective
taking also
impacts the
work we do in
a classroom.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Thinking socially, social thinking, or social and emotional
skills are a part of building relationships,
but they are also foundational for:
Sharing
Comprehending
Writing
Working
Using
Sharing space
with others
across the many
micro-societies
at school.
Comprehending
plot lines to
understand the
deeper meaning
behind the actions
of the characters
and their
relationships.
Writing stories
or papers for
different
audiences and
capturing the
voice and
perspective of
characters.
Working in
groups, getting
help, or lining up
to leave or enter
the classroom.
Using narrative
language to
consider the
listener when
talking about
experiences or
actions, and
many more.
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Name 3 ways a challenge with
perspective taking might impact math
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Understanding the Gestalt
Name 3 ways a challenge with perspective
taking might impact science
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• May focus on the details and need support to see the
whole picture
• Need support to account for contextual cues
• Focus on a specific instruction and need support to see
how it relates to the next item (may be stragglers)
• Challenges with organizing/prioritizing
• Challenges with written expression
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Organization is a big part of gestalt
thinking.
Written expression requires students
to consider main ideas, express
related details, take perspective, etc.
What’s it mean to write to
an audience?
Prioritizing for writing can’t happen
without organized thinking.
Explore resources related to SelfRegulated Writing Strategies by Dr.
Karen Harris and team
Explore Brain Frames by Bonnie Singer
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
H = Humor and Human Relatedness
ILAUGH Model
I =Initiation of language to ask for help
L=Listening with ears, eyes and brain
A=Abstract and inferential thinking
U=Understanding perspective
G=Getting the big picture (Gestalt Processing)
H=Humor and human relatedness
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• One must be regulated before they can
be empathetic
• Understanding, awareness and stress
may translate into behavior that does
not match their intentions or social
goals
• All components of the ILAUGH model
are needed to make and maintain
relationships with others
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Make sure Humor is part of
the learning!
Remembering humor can be
cognitive linguistic and is very
context driven
Successful humor is related to:
• Time
• Place
• Person(s)
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What do we mean
when we say we
are using our
social thinking?
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The Social Thinking Methodology is designed
• It means we are engaging in
the thought process we go
through before we apply our
skills or make a response.
for students with solid to high level language
and academic learning skills
• It also means we are
monitoring, shifting and
adapting in a perpetual loop in
order to meet our own social
goals.
Starting at age 4 and into late adulthood
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
We focus on two
channels to encourage
the development of
social competencies:
A fit for some, not for all…
• For those who can “think about
thinking” & “talk about thoughts
and thinking”
• Mainstream and learners who
need additional support
Social Input (e.g., social thinking):
The process through which people gather
social information about the situation and
what they know about the people to make
meaning out of the information they are
gathering.
• If it’s not helpful, it’s not a good
fit!
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Social Output (e.g., social responses)
The intellectual endeavor to explain
verbally, in writing, through art, etc. - a
response to the social input.
How one adapts their social behavior to
help achieve their personal social goals.
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Social Thinking is
Today we will
explore one
treatment
framework
and attendant
strategies
not a skills-based
These ideas can be utilized with
all students but are designed to
help those with small to larger
social learning differences
improve when compared to
themselves.
approach.
We do not solely
focus on
Social Thinking© is a
methodology that
encourages social learning in
tandem with increasing
competencies in related
social skills.
improving one or
more social skills.
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What Do We Know About
the Brain and Behavior
Change?
Tried to decrease,
increase, improve, learn,
do, stop, plan or participate
in?
What Was the last
Behavior You…
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• Your brain forms neuronal
connections based on the things
you do repeatedly (good and bad)
Were you successful?
Why or why not????
• Changing behavior means changing
the way your brain responds and
that takes repetition and time
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
What we’ve
traditionally taught…
Instead of
simply teaching
social skills…
Our goal should
be…teaching toward
Social Competency
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Be Polite
Please, Excuse
me, Thank you
Don’t
interrupt
Raise your
hand
Wait your turn
Pay attention
Be respectful
Be nice
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Organize your lessons
with the concepts and
competency model in
mind
How to structure
social thinking
schoolwide
What are my students’ strengths and
areas for growth?
Introducing the
Social Thinking Vocabulary
systematically
How can I set up our time and activities
to support learning and processing
differences?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
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ATTEND! Observing social information
Interpreting
social
information
• What is the situation
(situational awareness)
• Where am I?
• Who am I with?
• What is expected here?
• How do I meet my own and others social goals?
• People have thoughts & feelings
• The Group Plan
• Think with your eyes
• Body in the group
• Listening with Eyes and Brain
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•
What do you know about the
situation based on your life
experience?
•
What do you know about the
people or other living creatures
in the situation?
•
How do you interpret the
information based on your
above knowledge?
•
How do you explain what you
have interpreted so others can
understand?
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Problem-Solve and Respond:
And move to how to work in the social world
Strategy:
• Understanding hidden rules and
expected/unexpected behaviors and
how they impact the plan of the
group
• Making smart guesses to figure this
out
• Flexible thinking
• Problem-solving
• Sharing imagination
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Social Thinking Vocabulary
Language drives social attention and self
awareness
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Social Thinking Vocabulary
Michelle Garcia Winner
An explicit user-friendly vocabulary
Questions?
Used across environments and people
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More than just words
• It is not about the vocabulary, it is about the concepts
underneath
Instead of
“pay attention”
• We use the language because the language triggers
the thought and the behavior
• Think with your eyes
• Keep your body in the group
• Keep your brain in the group
• Listen with your whole body
Concept
Thought
Behavior
Tarshis 2024
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Strategies
(STV)
Setting our Expectations
This is a slow and deep learning process!
Concept
Thought
Self
Awareness
Behavior
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Using the Social Thinking
Vocabulary
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Thinking
and
Behavior
Change
Thinking Thoughts & Feeling Feelings
Provide feedback/shift
attention to important
information
To engage the thinking
process
Conflict Resolution
Communication with
families
NOT to admonish or
punish
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Overall Goal:
Why teach?
• Managing our own thoughts and feelings is
key to our self- regulation (alone and with
others)
• Considering the thoughts and feelings of
others leads us into social problem
solving.
For students to come away
knowing that thoughts and
feelings are intrinsically
linked.
• Talking explicitly about how we impact our
own and others’ thoughts and feelings
leads to direct awareness of our social
responsibility towards each other.
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For teachers to see thoughts
and feelings are part of
everything! Literature, writing,
group work,and not just
friendship and playground play.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Language Arts
Thoughts are quiet words or pictures in
your head
Student
friendly
definition:
Thoughts
•
We represent thoughts in
illustrations by a thought bubble.
Use thought bubbles in classroom
literature books.
• Make short comics of a classroom
activity and use thought bubbles to
show how people have little thoughts
whenever they are around others.
We all have thoughts when we are
with other people.
• Track character feelings over time.
Other people have thoughts too
when they are with us.
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• Identify language in a text that
indicates mood, emotion and thought.
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Me File – What I Know
About Myself!
What I like to think about…
Use Drawings, Pictures,
Photos or Items
MATH :
• Experiment: teacher generates a scale of 1-5 with
1 being very sad and 5 thrilled. Each student has
an index-sized-scale and teacher announces 4
times during the day “Feelings check in.”
• Each student then marks where they are on the
scale in that moment. Next day, line chart of how
feelings changed/or didn’t over the course of the
day and in different situations.
• What are our class patterns of feelings? GRAPH
classroom patterns
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Social Studies
• Talk about how thoughts and feelings can
impact our bodies. Breathing, flushed, heart
rate. Take readings
• Relate to current curriculum event or person and ask:
Let’s imagine that we can see the thoughts of the
following individuals… what do you think they were
thinking during this time?
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Science
• Experiment using science kits and how
predictions are thoughts. Use thought
bubbles to show what is in a persons’
prediction bubble.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Labeling our emotions (Brackett)
Emotions
are
information
• Continuous flow, not an occasional event
• Information from our senses that brings
us news from our bodies, minds, and
world.
• The brain processes and analyzes this to
formulate an experience.
• We call this a feeling.
Legitimizes and organizes our experiences.
Attaching a word to a feeling gives the emotion substance & creates a mental model
Helps others meet our needs.
Makes empathy more available
Helps us meet the needs of others
Connects us to the world.
Emotions happen in context
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Context and Emotions
What is context?
Explanation of emotions can be found in the context
• Everything in a certain situation
(in the surroundings) that
reveals and influences the
meaning of something
We never see a facial expression out of context
Context is everything in a certain situation (in the surroundings)
that reveals and influences the meaning of something
• The predictability in a setting
The predictability in a setting. Context is the driving force in
situational awareness
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Facial expressions and
emotions
• Facial expressions are main
indicators of emotions
Student
Friendly
Definition:
Feelings
• Being able to recognize and
label emotional expressions
does NOT mean you understand
them
• Interpretation is crucial to
understanding and predicting
human behavior
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• We can see how others are feeling by
what they say, what they do, and how they
look.
• We can observe others’ feelings by
reading their facial expressions and body
language.
• We take into consideration the context
(what is happening around us) to help us
figure out other’s feelings.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Recognition is the first step!
• BUT…
• Be careful…
• what you think you are reading is your perception
• what you think you are displaying is your intention
• Intention and perception are not always the same
• Interpretation requires social understanding and
our social competence
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Let’s Discuss:
• Where could you discuss emotional climate without “changing”
what you are already doing?
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We usually
don’t
explain…
Group Plan
Me
Others
• Everyone in this room has
thoughts and feelings about
what is happening around them
and to them.
• We hold a lot of our thoughts in
our head.
• When in our class, we work
together to accomplish shared
goals.
• Throughout the day we are
expected to think with our eyes
to figure out the group plan.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Noticing the group
plan and
• Is not a behavior, it is active
understanding the processing and problem solving
possible roles:
in our minds.
Social communication is all about
“reading intentions”
or
for little ones:
Reading the group plan
• Requires each child to socially
attend, interpret and problem
solve in order to figure out the
expected behaviors.
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Have students learn to observe what’s
happening and figure out what people are
supposed to be doing?
For younger and students
who need more…
• Explicitly teach
When students enter or re-enter the classroom have them stop
and read the room to figure out the group plan.
1.Enter the room
2. Stop and pause
– you are part of a group
– that group has a plan.
• Contrast group plan with following your own
plan.
3. Look to see what the group is doing
4. Figure out what they should be doing.
• All the activities we all do together are The
Group Plan.
• Knowing The Group Plan provides the context
for anticipating what will happen and therefore
what is expected.
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What to do when students are not following the plan
Consider:
• They might not be paying attention
• They might not know the plan
• They might not know how to be part of it
• They might not be regulated
“Kids do well if they can.”
Ross Greene, PhD
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Knowing the group plan helps to
reduce anxiety
Anxiety (Jessica Minahan & Nancy Rappaport)
• Lose 13-20 IQ points in a moment of anxiety.
• Anxiety is a learning disability; it affects how one
learns.
Anxiety
Working memory
• Anxiety and learning are incompatible.
Perspective Taking
Processing speed
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Change expectations/ environment
Thinking
with
eyes
• “Watcher” chair
• 80/20 rule to build positive
momentum (Jed Baker)
We use our eyes to help us
problem solve!
We figure out the people and
the situation.
In conversation we track whose
and how others are responding.
• Build individual strategies
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We start teaching students what it means to observe
• Explicitly teach what this means!
• Activities to teach observational skill as this language is getting
introduced.
“Think with eyes” is different
than teaching
“eye-contact”
dynamic vs static information
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Body in the Group
Body in the
Group
• Maintaining a comfortable
physical presence around
others.
• Not too close, yet not too far.
• Your body in the group sends
the non-verbal message that
you are interested in others
and are following the same
plan.
• The opposite is also true!
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Explaining Body in Group to students
Build on the previous concept, group plan
• A group is more than one person sharing the same space. Most of the
time, the group has a plan.
• That means everyone is together for a common reason.
• We use our bodies to let people know our plan is to be part of the
group. This means we are communicating with more than just words!
• When your body is in the group, it shows other people you want to be
included in the plan.
• If your body is out of the group (or your body is turned away) others
might think you are not interested or do not want to be included.
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Caution!
Use the
language to
teach, not
scold
The body in the group language is
sometimes used as a command rather
than as a concept to help students
observe the physical presence of others
as well as have self-awareness about
their own physical presence.
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Listening with eyes and brain
Why do we listen?
The purpose of listening is not just to “here” and interpret what is
being said, but also to demonstrate shared involvement to make a
positive impression
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
•Whole
ListeningBody
involves
all of your body, not just ears!
Listening
• Use listening to:
• Make your brain available to take in information
• Figure out what is going on
• Show other people we are listening to and thinking about
them.
• We have strong expectations for how people listen to us!
• How we listen is influenced by context (where you are + who you
are with)
Expected/Unexpected: Hidden Rules
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Hidden Rules:
Expected/Unexpected
Doing what is expected
means we are following
the plan of the group,
hidden or stated, in the
situation or we are
making a choice that
does not impede the plan
of the group
What is expected to be part of the group?
Expected behaviors
within a situation can
make a person a feel okay,
comfortable or perhaps
good about what someone
is saying or doing
We use the vocabulary
to teach rather than to
scold or redirect.
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Discuss
• Thinking about others and being aware of thoughts and feelings
• Following the group plan
• Thinking with your eyes
• Keeping your body in the group
• Listening with eyes and brain
Expected behaviors within a situation can make people feel okay
(neutral) with what someone is saying or doing.
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• What are some of the assumed
collective goals (sometimes called
hidden rules) that you expect kids like
me to understand and then contribute
to?
• Spoken or unspoken?
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Hidden Rules:
Expected/Unexpected
Doing what is
unexpected means we
are not following the
plan of the group,
hidden or stated, in
the situation
Unexpected behaviors
within a situation can
make a person a feel
confused about what
someone is saying or
doing
We use the vocabulary
to teach rather than to
scold or redirect.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Guess
•Smart
When we
have some clues, but not all of them, we can make a
smart guess.
• To make a smart guess we take information from what we see
(think with our eyes) and what we hear and combine that with
what we already know.
Smart Guess
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Smart Guess:
Take what you know and
make a guess.
This is different from a wacky guess: you don’t
have enough information to make a smart guess!
Flexible Thinking
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Consider Multiple
Perspectives
•Flexible thinking is being able to adapt across places and
people in the moment.
•We can change our plan, change what we are thinking or
give up what we want based on the plan of the group.
Stuck thinking is being unable to change what we are
doing or thinking based on what is happening around us.
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
1
Problem Solving
• Problems come in different sizes. Understanding
this helps us to get organized around getting the
help we might need to solve a problem or make it
better.
• Thinking about whether a problem is small,
medium, or big is based on how much help is
required, how many people are involved, and what
happens next.
Size of the Problem
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Self Talk for Us
Problems come in different sizes. To figure out the size of the
problem, we start by asking two questions: how long and who
helps?
Having her in my
class will be
wonderful
professional
development
This child is
testing to see
where the
limits are
Small problems can be taken care of quickly and solved by
ourselves or with the help of another person. Medium problems
take more time to solve, and require help from others, often
adults.
My job is to
stay calm and
teach
Big problems are hard for even adults to handle. They can take a
lot of time to solve or make better; and require a lot of help from
others.
I need to seek
support from
my peers
Tarshis 2024
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Size of the Problem
Size of the Problem
and the size of the reaction
and the size of the reaction
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10
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5
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3
3
2
2
1
1
Size of
Problem
Size of
Emotion
displayed
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Impacts
Others’
Emotions
Creates a
New Problem
Size of
Problem
Size of
Emotion
displayed
Impacts
Others’
Emotions
Creates a
New Problem
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Tarshis 2024
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Tarshis 2024
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Sharing an Imagination
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Learning the Social Thinking Vocabulary (adults)
• Commit to the group plan for using a shared language
• Understand the “why” behind each concept
• Live monthly trainings
• Resources (articles/books)
• Observe colleagues that comfortable using it
• Design and teach activities, if applicable
For Young Learners
Bringing it
into the
classroom
• Discuss the events in the stories
• Talk about what the characters think
and how they feel
• Practice making inferences and
predictions
• Reflect on their own experiences / TextLife connections
For Older Learners
• Think of alternative endings
• Discuss point of view / perspectives
• What would you do?
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Reading
Comprehension
Teaching “abstract” language
Literal vs figurative language
Prediction and inference
Writing Assignments
Identify the “listener”
Explain the assignment in their
own words
What is the “gist” of what they are
trying to say
What background information does
the listener need
May require multiple perspectives
at once (e.g., “Sally knew that their
mom knew that they knew”)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Identify the important “clues”
Check for saliency - would
changing this detail, change the
outcome
Teaching story grammar
What is the characters’ point of
view
What is the problem
What are solutions
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How do we know
we are making
change?
The art of using the
Social Thinking Vocabulary
• Meaningful change vs data
collection
• Not everything that is
countable, counts.
• Not everything that counts is
countable.
Tarshis 2024
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Do I have to change everything I
already do?
• Choose books/stories/lessons that have themes that relate to the lives of your
children
• reframe the emotion; overlay the social thinking concepts, growth mindset
“The way we talk to our children
becomes their inner voice."
• Use your thought bubbles and hearts as you read the story
• Talk about THE PLAN whenever you get ready and begin a new activity
• Help your students to be OBSERVERS and use their eyes to figure out the plan
• Teach them how to make Smart Guesses about what they are reading and doing
• Practice Listening with their eyes and brains (keeping bodies quieter helps
everyone to listen better)
Peggy O’Mara
• Think through in advance when and where you can use the vocabulary, once you do
it becomes part of your thinking
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Using the Social Thinking Vocab
Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
NOT this!
Provide feedback/shift
attention to important
information
“Body in
the
group!”
To engage the thinking
process
“Body in the group!”
Conflict Resolution
“BODY IN
THE GROUP!”
Scold/Admonish
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OR this
Teach In the Moment
• The ST vocabulary is used in the moment, to teach.
• The goal of this teaching is to increase self awareness and
help students understand what to pay attention to and
observe.
“Why can’t you put your
body in the group? I’ve
asked you a dozen
times.”
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I see all my
students have their
bodies in the group!
“Think with your
eyes. Where is
the group? Is
your body in the
group?”
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When our bodies are
in the group, our plan
moves forward, and
we can start the
experiment .
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Presented by Nancy Tarshis
Nico School May 2025
Using the STV as intended
• Teaches (versus scolds)
• Increases self awareness
• Helps children understand what to pay attention to and observe
• Helps them better understand their strengths and abilities
• Focuses on efforts/process not outcome
• Teaches resiliency
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Final Thoughts
• Neurodiversity is a benefit to society- we need all kinds of
workers
• Neurodiverse learners need to understood- there is NO one
size fits all in education
• Understanding the strengths and areas of growth in our
students helps us be better teachers
• Social thinking helps us do this!
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Thank you!
Nancy.Tarshis@gmail.com
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