Slide 1 Employment Workshops
For Adults on The Autistic
Spectrum
WELCOME
Slide 2 Session 7:
Social Skills
INTRODUCTIONS
GROUND RULES
BODY LANGUAGE
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
TONE OF VOICE
FILM
EVALUATION
It may be helpful to write rules up on a flip chart or on a white board. Or have a participant write down the rules onto a piece of paper. Add the rules to the ground rule slide at a later time.
The most important thing is that the group decide together what the rules of the group will be.
Some examples of possible ground rules:
Mobiles on silent
Confidentiality
Respect
Leave the room if you need to, always a welcome back (designate a place to go if they need to escape in an emergency for example a quiet corner in the hallway)
No discrimination based on gender, race, religion etc.

Slide 3 GROUND RULES
Slide 4
Slide 5
WHAT?
Aim of this session: to improve basic social interaction skills
Objectives:
Understanding some of the verbal and visual techniques used by non-autistic people in social situations e.g at work
Learning of basic conversation skills
Why bother to develop our conversation skills for work?
To fit in better at work and improve your ability to work with your colleagues as part of a team
To avoid becoming a target which can be a threat to your job
This is a short and very basic session.
Some people on the Autism Spectrum may need to attend a course that covers social interaction more comprehensively.
“Brainstorm”/”Thought shower” – write ideas on flipchart

Slide 6
Slide 7
Why bother to develop our conversation skills for work?
To understand what not to talk about in a work situation
To know when it is better to keep quiet
To develop confidence when talking to your colleagues and your manager
Conversations without words
Lots of conversation relies on facial expressions and body language
Some people will be able to recognise these but others will not
It is possible to learn the more obvious by rote, but should you have to?
Slide 8 Conversations
Is it solely the responsibility of the employer and work colleagues to accept the person on the Autism
Spectrum as he/she is?
Does the person on the spectrum have some responsibility to learn basic social interaction skills?
Encourage discussion.

Slide 9 Possible Difficulties
It may be hard to know what other people are thinking or feeling because they do not tell you, often to avoid hurting your feelings
Many people on the Spectrum are not able to read facial expressions, body language or gestures
Slide 10 Possible Difficulties
Many people on the spectrum do not generalise learning and so it may be necessary to practise techniques until they become automatic
If you can’t read body language, you might misinterpret what the person is saying because body language tends to be truer than words
Slide 11 Body Language
Experimental evidence suggests that people on the Spectrum process visual information differently. This means facial expressions and body language can cause problems.
Communication statistics:
Tone of Voice: 38% Body
Language: 55% Words: 7%
Ask what they find difficult when having a conversation with another person.
Some individuals say that they can read facial expressions and body language more easily from other people on the Spectrum than from non-autistic people.

Slide 12
Slide 13 Open Body Language
Eye contact relaxed and prolonged
(look at mouth or forehead if you can look in person’s direction but not at the eyes)
Clothes may be loosened eg jacket unbuttoned
Body relaxed and facing you
Slide 14
Open Body Language
Arms not crossed, maybe held shoulder width apart, hands open, not clenched into fists
Legs not crossed, often parallel or slightly apart
Head directed to other person or looking around from time to time
Example: Job Interviews
Shake hands firmly
Smile when you meet the interviewer(s) and, in moderation, during the interview
Make eye contact with the questioner. If it is a panel interview make sure that you include each member when you answer by looking at them as well, but spend most of the time directing your answer to the questioner
Demonstrate.
Show how arms wide open like a goalkeeper looks wrong.
Show Why legs wide apart looks wrong
Show how talking when looking away does not work.
Ask them to try these out while talking with each other about what they did last night
Ask how they felt.
Demonstrate.
Relaxed eye contact not a determined manic stare
Loose clothing should not be stripped to the waist
A relaxed body is not slumped in the chair
Ask them to try these out while talking with each other about what they did last night
Ask how they felt.
Demonstrate
A firm hand shake does not mean squeeze all the blood out of someone’s hand.
A smile needs to look natural not a weird manic grin show example

Slide 15 Example: Job Interviews
Sit upright, but comfortably, rather than leaning forward or backward.
Don’t be afraid to shift position from time to time
Try not to fidget - keep your hands on your lap but do use them to illustrate an answer where appropriate
Keep hand movements under control and don't make them too flamboyant
If you can demonstrate it will help
Slide 16 Closed Body Language
One or both arms cross central line – may be folded or tightly clasped
Legs crossed in several different ways
Head inclined away or tilted downwards
Demonstrate
Ask them to try it out with each other and talk about a job that they might like to do.
Ask how they felt
Slide 17 Closed Body Language
One or both arms cross central line – may be folded or tightly clasped
Legs crossed in several different ways
Head inclined away or tilted downwards
Demonstrate
Ask them to try it out with each other and talk about a job that they might like to do.
Ask how they felt

Slide 18 Facial Expressions
There are approximately 3000 facial expressions
They can change from moment to moment
Some people on spectrum can read them, some can’t
Slide 19 Facial Expressions
Some can read only the very obvious ones like happy, sad, angry, scared, & others can’t read them at all
Non-autistic people recognise facial expressions intuitively while people on spectrum sometimes have to analyse them in order to understand them
Slide 20 Facial Expressions
People may use a facial expression which is different from the emotion felt, e.g. a smile may be genuine or faked
It would be useful to recognise smiles and frowns

Slide 21 Facial Expressions
Smile: upward turning of corners of mouth.
Genuine smiles have crinkling around eyes.
False smiles are just the mouth
Frown: wrinkling of brow
Demonstrate different facial expressions
Use photos or cuttings from magazines/internet illustrating different facial expressions (not cartoons) – spread them out on table and discuss the differences
Slide 22 Tone of Voice
People on the spectrum sometimes have a monotonic voice and may not recognise different tones in other people
Generally a smooth, low tone is calm and a louder, higher (and faster speech) may show that the person is excited, angry or in a rush.
Have a few examples for the learners to try out in pairs.
Eg
1) Imagine I met a colleague in the corridor and they said: “Have you finished that report yet?” in an aggressive tone (demonstrate). What might I think?
What might I think, however, if my colleague said: “Have you finished that report yet?” in a friendly tone
(demonstrate)?
2) Scenario: You have been asked to evaluate an accident report that someone else has written. You say to them:
“I was really confused – I couldn’t
work out what actually happened.”
Tone options: experiment by saying this sentence: in an angry tone in a sympathetic tone in a frustrated tone.
Ask learners to identify which was the most negative.

Slide 23 When can you start a conversation?
As a group let’s come up with some possible times and ways to start a conversation and some bad times and some wrong ways
Slide 24 Conversations
There are times when you shouldn’t begin a conversation e.g. when being trained, at a meeting, at a lecture, when the person you want to talk to is on the phone, when the person is having a work-related talk to someone else
If you get it wrong because the person does not want you to talk, just say “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you”, or “Can I speak to you later?” or if it’s someone you know, “Oops, I’ve done it again!”
Slide 25 Conversations
If you want to start a conversation, what should you do?
Make eye contact (or look at nose or mouth)
Smile and if it’s a new person to you shake hands
Use open body language
What else might you say or do as an apology?

Slide 26 Conversations
First impressions count.
People make up their minds about you within just a few minutes of meeting you.
Remember that these are what the other person will be doing if they would like to speak to you.
Slide 27 Conversations
Say “Hi” or “Hello” etc,
Make a comment about the weather, subject of meeting etc as appropriate
Remember “Hi, how are you?” actually just means “Hello” they don’t want your medical history and what the doctor said. Just say
“fine” even if you aren’t.
Slide 28 Conversations
How do you keep a conversation going?
Let the other person talk for about half of the time. A great conversationalist is often really a great listener.
Listen to what the other person is saying rather than just preparing what you are going to say

Slide 29 Conversations
How do you keep a conversation going?
Avoid talking about your special interest at work unless it is very relevant to the task, and if you do, keep it short
If you want to speak, make eye contact, and ask a question or make a comment, try not to jump in.
Slide 30 Conversations
How do you know when it is your turn to speak?
When the other person’s body language becomes more open eg turning towards you
When the gestures become fewer
Ask why you should allow the other person to talk and be listened to.
Why might a monologue about your special interest be inappropriate at work.
Demonstrate
Slide 31 Conversations
How do you know when it is your turn to speak?
When the person’s hand(s) points towards you with the palm facing upwards
When you are asked a question eg
“What do you think?”
Demonstrate

Slide 32 Conversations
If you want to end a conversation, what should you do?
Make less eye contact
Look at watch or at exit
Start moving away
Pack up, and maybe put your coat on
Just say e.g. “I must go now”
Ask, “Any other ideas?”
Slide 33 Conversations
If the other person wants to end the conversation they will do the same:
Make less eye contact
Look at watch or at exit
Start moving away
Pack up, and maybe put their coat on
Just say e.g. “I must go now”
Slide 34 Conversations
You need to be aware of these signs in the other person if it is you that is talking.
Try to remember how you can tell if the person you are speaking to is trying to end the conversation.
A work conversation is usually short, you are there to work.

Slide 35 Social Skills
Learning the theory is fine, But just one session is not enough. You have to practise again and again in a wide variety of situations until the techniques became automatic.
Remember why you need to learn these techniques for work
– they may well be essential for you to keep your job.
Slide 36 Social Skills
Try to practise with people you know and trust. Don’t just walk up to strangers.
Ask friends or relatives to help you as they can give feedback and help you.
A stranger may be alarmed if you get it wrong.
Slide 37 Film Time
FUN WITH FLAGS STARRING
SHELDON COOPER

Slide 38 Now it’s time to try out your new skills!
Ask the learners to have a conversation with their neighbour(s) about what kinds of job they are looking for.
Slide 39 Evaluation
How has this session gone for you
?
Did you contribute ?
Were you listened to ?
Did you feel comfortable ?
Have you found out anything new
?
Is there anything we need to change for next time?