Using Personal Narratives
to Enhance Conversational Skills
and Written Expression
ISHA CONVENTION 2014
Presented by
Gwynne McElhinney, M.S., CCC-SLP
Creator of Six-Second-Stories®
Gwynne McElhinney’s Lab for Social Intelligence
at Lee Pesky Learning Center in Boise, Idaho
gwynne6@msn.com
Disclosures
Financial:
I receive quarterly royalties from MindWing Concepts,
Inc. (MWC) because I co-authored Facilitating
Relationships! Six-Second-Stories® and Other Social
Communication Strategies an instructional manual
written to help adults foster social communication skill
development in children and youth, published in 2011.
In 2012, I received honoraria from MWC for teaching
at two regional conferences on the East Coast.
Nonfinancial: No relevant nonfinancial relationships exist.
Employment: Solo, part-time, private practice focused on teaching
students with language impairment/social learning
challenges how to C.A.R.E.---Communicate and Relate
Effectively---using a co-teaching approach in the
classroom, and partnering with parents in my Lab.
The reason I’m here today can be explained by this Chinese Proverb:
“When someone shares something of value with you,
and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation
to share it with others.”
My 39-year professional journey presented as a brief personal narrative:
Year
“She-hero”
Methodology
1977
Elinor Kriegsman (UW-EEU)
Educational Teaming
1994
Ellen Pritchard Dodge
CommunicationLab
1999
Maryellen Rooney Moreau
SGM®
2004
Michelle Garcia Winner
Social Thinking®
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
MISSION STATEMENT for the
SAN JOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Our High School Graduates will be:
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
 INFORMED THINKERS
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNERS
COLLABORATIVE WORKERS
INFORMATION PROCESSORS
RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
M. Winner, 12/04
Seattle, WA Workshop
Overview of the Challenge
To succeed academically & socially, students must learn how to:
 Listen & understand others’ thoughts and feelings (oral comprehension)
 Speak & be understood, when sharing their own thoughts and feelings
(verbal expression)
 Read & understand others’ thoughts and feelings (reading comprehension)
 Write & be understood, when sharing their own thoughts and feelings
(written expression) and always,
 Think Socially (relate effectively in the classroom & on the playground)
The ability to communicate is the most difficult and remarkable feat of
humankind. The ease with which most of us learn & use language blinds us to
how complex the acquisition process really is, for those who struggle with
what, to us, “just comes naturally…”
Combining Priorities
According to Dr. Bonnie Brinton (in a workshop at USU in 2012):
“ It’s good to work on language structure.
“ It’s better to work on academics.
It’s best to work on social interaction.
With teamwork, we can do all three at once!”
Social Competence refers to the skills & strategies that allow individuals to:
have meaningful friendships, forge close, emotion-based relationships;
productively collaborate with groups, teams, and work partners;
manage public social settings and participate in family functioning
Gutstein & Whitney (AS and the Development of Social Competence, Focus on Autism & Other DD, Vol. 17, #3, Fall 2002)
According to the Mother of a Son with LI (in an article published by Brinton in 2009):
“The Social Stuff is EVERYTHING!”
Social Thinking®
Michelle Garcia Winner, SLP
The I-LAUGH Model
Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum Package
and
Superflex® Takes on Glassman and the Team of Unthinkables
by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia Winner,
Illustrated by Kelly Knopp
You are a Social Detective!
by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke,
Illustrated by Kelly Knopp
Thinking About You, Thinking About Me
by Michelle Garcia Winner
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
The Benefits of
Narrative Instruction #1
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT:
• 90% of elementary curriculum is in narrative/story form
• The ability to independently tell and write stories is essential to social and
academic success
• Competency on state testing depends on an awareness, and demonstration of,
basic story structure for reading comprehension and writing
• Critical thinking and inferential skills draw on the concrete awareness of
story elements and the relationships they have to each other
Teacher’s Guide to the SGM Activity Booklet, now known as
Talk to Write, Write to Learn by Moreau & Welch (1999)
The Benefits of
Narrative Instruction #2
• The ability to identify and develop plans and goals is crucial to academic and
social success because these skills enable students to connect the
“character’s” relationship to the beginning, middle and end of a story
or to their own personal, life experiences (self-talk/self-regulation)
• Advancing curriculum and social competency require students to develop
perspective-taking, the ability to “see” and “feel” situations
through the eyes of another/from his or her point of view
• Perspective-taking underlies the ability to empathize, an absolutely vital skill
• Empathy is the basis for social & literate inferencing; both skill sets have
broad implications for our society (effective problem-solving)
Teacher’s Guide to the SGM Activity Booklet, now known as
Talk to Write, Write to Learn by Moreau & Welch (1999)
“We dream, remember,
anticipate, hope, despair, love,
hate, believe, doubt, plan,
construct, gossip and learn in
narrative.”
Westby, C. (1985, 1991) Learning to talk, talking to
learn: oral-literate language differences. In C. Simon
(Ed.), Communication Skills and Classroom Success
Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing
Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web:
NARRATIVE language is both emotional and literate. Narratives
are the way to connect language, cognitive and social interactive
components for children diagnosed with Language-based Learning
Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, AS/HFA & social learning challenges.
Narrative Language includes: Everything is held together
• Oral story telling
•
•
•
•
•
• Interpretation of pictures
That is all that is
and pictured scenes in stories.
Written story telling
Personal narratives
Poetry, drawing, pantomime, music
Feelings (internal response) vocabulary
Pragmatics: Tone of Voice, Volume,
Facial Expressions and Body language
• Critical Thinking
Triangle®
Activities
• Thought bubbles
• Conversation bubbles
• Social Stories™ (Gray)
• Cartoons
• Social Thinking®
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Copyright © 2009, MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 •
Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
11
“We think in terms of stories. Not only do we
understand the world in terms of stories we’ve
heard, our interpretation of personal problems
and relationships is influenced by stories of
others who have experienced similar situations.
In fact, we understand-and explain-just about
everything in life through stories.” cha, R. (1990).
Tell me a story: A new look at real and artificial memory.
NY: Macmillan.
Schank, R. (1990) Tell me a story: A new look at real
and artificial memory. NY: Macmillan.
Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
Four Current Areas of Application
for Narrative Development:
• Response to Intervention (RtI)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders and
Related Social Learning Challenges
• Common Core State Standards for ELA and Literacy
• Emotions, Mental States and Plans to Facilitate
Comprehension, Problem Solving and Conflict
Resolution
The “Core” of the Core: Using Story Grammar Marker and Other
MindWing Concepts Tools to Support Students in Meeting Grade-Level
Common Core State Standards (Moreau, 2012)
Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
Response-to-Intervention
Oral narratives are a natural bridge between oral and literate
language. Narrative skills and the language skills needed to produce
quality narratives are interspersed throughout the Common Core
Standards. One effective RTI approach for SLPs is to provide
intervention focusing on narratives. The SLP provides Tier 1
supports in the classroom through modeled lessons with the whole
class. In Tier 2/3, the SLP provides small group intensive
intervention that simultaneously targets the story grammar and
deficient language skills. Using oral narratives in an intervention
model builds a foundation for the development of listening, speaking
reading and writing.
How to Fit Response to Intervention into a Heavy Workload,
The ASHA LEADER,
Vol. 16, No. 10.
Copyright © 2011 •August
Maryellen Rooney30,
Moreau 2011
• 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
Standards Project: www.nationalautismcenter.org, “Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools”
Story-based Intervention was cited as one of
eleven established treatments for Autism:
the only non-behavioral intervention cited.
Furthermore, the National Standards Report stated
that stated that story-based intervention influenced
their targeted skills of:
• Self-Regulation: Tasks that involve the management
of one’s own behaviors in order to meet a goal
• Interpersonal Skills: Tasks that require social
interaction with one or more individuals.
Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
CCSS English Language Arts
Per Reading, Key Idea and Detail #3: Narrative development is essential.
Kindergarten
RL.K.3. With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
Grade 1
RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
Grade 2
RL.2.3. Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Grade 3
RL.3.3. Describe characters in a story (traits, motivations, feelings) and explain how their actions
contribute to the sequence of events
Grade 4
RL.4.3. Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in
the text (character’s thoughts, words, actions)
Grade 5
RL.5.3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or events in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (how characters interact)
Grade 6
RL.6.3. Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how
the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
ASHA Principles: Integrating the CCSS
All educators, including SLPs, must focus on preparing students to achieve
their highest potential for independence and postsecondary education and/or
employment… in part, by placing a strong emphasis through instruction, on
higher order thinking, problem solving and collaboration with peers.
In order for students to meet CCSS, language development and literacy need to
be twinned. The CCSS provides a roadmap, allowing IEP goals to be linked
directly to the CCSS, particularly in the areas of language arts and literacy…
Instructional goals & strategies need to be adjusted based on the academic,
social, behavioral, & communication skills exhibited by each student…
Students are required throughout ALL standards (using academic language) to
tell, retell, and write stories, to interpret, argue, analyze, organize, conclude and
persuade through conversation, discussion, writing and debate.
Copyright © 2009, MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 •
---Core Commitment by Ehren, Blosser,
Roth,
Paul & Nelson, The ASHA Leader, April 3, 2012.
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17
CCSS Call? Students Must Develop
“Communicative Competence”
Teachers and SLPs have distinct, but complementary roles, working collaboratively to
provide multiple types and levels of support. The SLP’s focus should be to support the
success of students and to prepare them to access the curriculum, communicate to learn,
and achieve academic goals… In other words, Focus on the Discourse Level of Language:
teach students to put together words, phrases, and sentences to create conversations,
speeches, email messages, articles and books, so that they can experience both academic &
social success throughout their education & careers.
www.nclrc.org/essentials/goalsmethods/goal.htm
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Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
19
Story Grammar Marker®
Maryellen Rooney Moreau, SLP
A research-based methodology with hands-on tools to boost literacy/EQ:
• The SGM® and related tools provide complete lesson plans
which use well-known children’s literature for instruction
• A tactile, kinesthetic tool is paired with printed “maps”
• Icons on both types of graphic organizers help children to
visualize the elements of stories by reminding them of the
parts & sequence
• Reduces the load on working memory so students can
concentrate on translating their ideas into words to convey
the content of each element of the story they tell or write
• Can be adapted to suit special needs students; those w/AS
show superior abilities searching for detail/analyzing &
manipulating systems, so this methodology is a good match
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Knowing the relationship among the kick-off,
feelings, mental states and plans of a character
in a story or a person in a social situation is
essential for academic and social success.
The Critical Thinking Triangle® help students improve…
 Comprehension and expression of feelings, plans and thoughts of characters,
themselves and others
 Perspective-Taking/Theory of Mind for ASD and Deaf & Hard of Hearing
 Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution
 Comprehension and expression expository text structures of cause and effect,
problem/solution and persuasion
 Social Communication/the ability to plan for conversation and social interaction
 Cognitive-academic language proficiency for English Language Learners
 Sentence structure for temporal and causal relationships using conjunctions
 Recognition of the “main idea” & plot development
 Episodic thinking
Copyright © 2011 • Maryellen Rooney Moreau • 1-888-228-9746
• www.mindwingconcepts.com
Me and Mommy
The Mall
• Knows the teacher will be
accepting of her
Child sees the teacher
• Thinks that the teacher will like
the story
• Believes that the teacher would
be excited too
Excited/compelled
to tell the teacher
about her
weekend trip to
the mall.
Wants to tell the teacher and so the child
says: “Me and Mommy went to the mall.”
This statement is very vague and could
cause a conversational breakdown between
the girl and the teacher. Using the SixSecond-Stories® technique, an effective
start to the conversation would be:
Who
Is Doing What
Where
When
My Mom and I ate a giant sundae at the mall on Saturday.
23
My mom lost her purse at the mall on Saturday.
Making the Connections for Students
If You Can Have a Conversation, You Can Have a Relationship…
(“Description of a Program for Social Language Intervention,”
by Brinton, Robinson & Fujiki in LSHSS, Vol. 35)
“Conversations are efforts toward good relations. They are an elementary form of
reciprocity. They are the exercise of our love for each other. They are the enemies
of our loneliness, our doubt, our anxiety, our tendencies to abdicate. To continue
to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is to be
calling out to each other in the night. If we attend with imagination and devotion
to our conversations, we will find what we need; and someone among us will act--it does not matter whom---and we will survive.”TBBarry Lopez
to be in good conversation over our enormous and terrifying problems is—and we will
suAnAnd, If You Can Have a Relationship, You Can Have a Life!
Research shows that just one real friend can “inoculate” an individual from the severe
depression that leads to suicide.vive. continue to be in good conversation over our enormous
and terrifying problems
to Gwynne
be McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Copyrightis
© 2011,
THE COMMUNICATIONLAB
Ellen Pritchard Dodge, SLP
• 10 week interactive classroom-based SLP program for grades K-8 to
teach “What Good Communicators Do” with EQ emphasis
• 30 minute/once weekly sessions combine brainstorming, problemsolving & role-playing, with teacher & SLP co-teaching the group
• Lessons focus on the core communication skills needed by all students
to achieve both academic & social success
• Teachers are given written generalization strategies on a weekly basis
• Parents are sent informational letters, paired with a sheet of suggested
carryover activities for targeted behaviors, on a weekly basis
• This flexible model can also be taught 1:1, or on a small group basis;
special needs students benefit from pre-teaching & follow-up
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO ?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by
LISTENING in order to understand others’ ideas & feelings; and
SPEAKING so that others can understand their own ideas & feelings
• They Make Eye Contact & Think with Their Eyes about their partner
• They Observe before Communicating to improve the timing of interaction
• They use positive Body Language & “read” their partner’s non-verbal cues
• They use Whole Body Listening to “synch” with their partner’s emotions
• They Kick-Off conversations by making statements that contain key facts,
providing just the right amount of relevant information
• They ask appropriate questions of their partner in order to clarify confusing
statements made by him/her
• They answer questions posed by their partner in order to clarify content
• They Take Turns, alternating speaking & listening roles & balance air time
• They Stay on the Topic and signal Topic Changes appropriately
• They Act Interested by smiling, leaning forward & head nodding
• They Speak Clearly so their words can be easily understood by their
partner
• They use a polite Tone of Voice to signal respect & friendliness
• They also use:
• Just the Right Distance (not too close & not too far away)
• Just the Right Speed (not too fast & not too slow)
• Just the Right Volume (not too soft & not too loud)
• They try to be “mindful” of their conversational partner,
by “thinking socially”
WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by
READING in order to understand others’ ideas & feelings
• They decode, or “sound out,” the words they see
• They make sense of what each word, sentence & paragraph means
• They compare & contrast plots, settings, and characters presented by authors
• They generate alternative endings to plots, and identify the reason(s) for,
and impact of, the alternatives
• They compare & contrast different versions of the same stories
that reflect different cultures
• They are “mindful” of the author and the author’s intent
WHAT DO GOOD COMMUNICATORS DO?
They C.A.R.E. (Communicate and Relate Effectively) by
WRITING so that others can understand their ideas & feelings
• They write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects,
events and experiences
• They write brief narratives based on their own experiences
• They describe the setting, characters, objects and events in detail
• They tell their story using a logical sequence of events
• They write using correct English spelling, grammar & punctuation
• They use good penmanship so that others can read their thoughts & feelings
• They are “mindful” of their reader and are capable of perspective-taking
The Personal Narrative
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30
What Are Six-Second-Stories®?
A kernel sentence containing the 4 Wh’s…
Who?
Did What?
Where?
When?
…that creates a springboard for a balanced conversational exchange, like:
“My parents (
) took me to see the movie “Hop” (
at the Mall (
) on Saturday night (
)
).”
instead of: “They took me to a movie” which is sentence that could easily cause a
conversational breakdown
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Exemplar of an Adult Six-Second-Story®
At lunchtime one Monday in
I realized that she didn’t know much
August, a few weeks after the school year
about me yet, since we had just been
started, a 4th grade teacher, new to our
introduced in a faculty meeting a few days
faculty, asked me, “Gwynne, what did
earlier.
you do over the weekend?”
So, I decided to tell her about myself in a way
I felt pleased that she expressed
that would Kick-Off a brief conversation
interest in getting to know me,
that might eventually lead to a mutually-
because I was hoping that she would
satisfying, collegial relationship.
be open to the idea of co-teaching
I planned to tell her that I was
with me in her classroom.
married and to whom, and then
describe one of the special interests
we share as a married couple. I wanted to see if she liked this activity too, and then
quickly find out what other things we might have in common for future reference. So I
said, “My husband, Bob, and I went to the Idaho Ballet performance at the Morrison
Center on Saturday night.”
Story #3
Story #2
Story #1
Story Grammar Elements
Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet
Who?
Did What?
Who is the story about?
Name the character.
What did the character do
in the story?
“My husband,
Bob, and I
went to the
Idaho Ballet
performance
Where?
Where did the character do
this action/activity?
at the
Morrison Center
When?
When did the character do
this action/activity?
on Saturday
night.”
PRAGMATICS
Non-Linguistic
Social Conventions
Eye Contact
Do you watch the speaker’s mouth and eyes?
Noise
Are you making extra noise?
Space
How do you use the space around you to communicate?
Are you a space invader?
Linguistic Narrative
Related Components
Feedback
Are you giving the speaker feedback to indicate interest?
(Non-verbal nods, smiles, knitted brows, and verbal
comments such as “okay,” “yes,” “I’ve been there.”)
Turn Taking
Is it your turn to talk or listen?
Topic Maintenance
Are you talking about what I’m talking about?
Body Language
Do you show interest in what is being said?
Do you use gestures?
Tone of Voice
What message is your voice giving?
Comments
Can you make suggestions in a positive way?
Clarification
Can you ask the speaker to explain what s/he means?
Can you, as the speaker, repair your message so your
communication partner can understand it?
Copyright © 2011, MindWing Concepts, Inc.
35
Can you, as the listener,
ask your communication partner to explain
what s/he means if you’re confused?
Can you, as the speaker,
prepare your message so your communication partner
can understand it the first time?
Can you, as the speaker,
repair your message so your communication partner
can understand it if s/he is confused?
Copyright © 2011, MindWing Concepts, Inc.
36
How Can Six-Second-Stories® Help?
Six-Second-Stories® (S3) teach our students how to bridge the gap between
their mind and someone else’s in three ways:
1) By effectively sharing personal narratives with conversational partners,
relationship development becomes possible
2) By being able to generate a topic sentence to WRITE a personal narrative
3) By facilitating Social Problem Solving
S3 are intended to “simplify” a complex human interaction/conversational
exchange so that essential skills can be isolated, extracted, taught effectively &
then re-inserted into the dynamic process so that our students can actually
“connect” with others (language/literacy/Social Thinking® synergy).
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Why Do Six-Second-Stories® Work?
• Oral language is paired with written expression in a highly structured format
• The visual template allows fleeting auditory information to be “freeze-framed”
to improve:
Auditory comprehension (on the listener’s part) or
Oral expression (on the speaker’s part)
• This scaffolding can be gradually faded & replaced with a naturalistic cuing system
• Students’ strengths are emphasized: a visual learning is paired with their preferences
for following predictable patterns, solving puzzles, and using
tactile-kinesthetic tools
• The oral-literacy continuum is combined, since students are listening, speaking,
reading and writing throughout the structured activities
• Using SGM® methodology, students can be taught to write a personal narrative once
they have generated a topic sentence based on a Six-Second-Story® in
response to a Prompt such as: What did you do over Spring Break?
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing
Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web:
What Makes This Intervention Unique?
• Six-Second-Stories® offer explicit, systematic yet flexible instruction
• Easily adapted to suit a wide-range of students (PreK-12)
• Improves conversational exchanges in the Here & Now (listening &
speaking), but incorporates critical elements of the There & Then
(reading & writing) as well
• Strengthens oral communication skills while enhancing literacy skills
• Benefits our students (they have fewer dots to connect) between
interpersonal & academic behavioral expectations
• Benefits educators & parents (through increased efficiency) with
continuity of underlying vocabulary, concepts & materials
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing
Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web:
Story Grammar Elements
Who is the story about?
Name the character.
What did the character do
in the story?
Where did the character do
this action/activity?
When did the character do
this action/activity?
Story #1
Kathy
ran
to the
playground
last
Saturday
Story #2
Ronald
Morgan
played
baseball with
his team
in the park
after school
Story #3
Six-Second-Stories® Conversation Connector Sheet
John
walked
to the store
last night
Who?
Did What?
Where?
When?
Desired Student Outcomes from
Teaching Six-Second-Stories®:
Short-term Objectives:
1) to prevent conversational breakdowns from occurring in the first place
(thru pre-planning instruction) and
2) to provide strategies for effective analysis/repair of conversational
breakdowns when necessary
Long-term Goals:
Greater communication effectiveness as shown by reciprocal relationships &
improved personal problem-solving achieved by increasing the student’s
• Perspective taking skills/insight/empathy
• Spontaneity during social interactions
• Self-regulation
• Self-advocacy
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Goal for Receptive Conversational Repair:
In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, the student will:
1) recognize when s/he doesn’t understand his/her conversational partner; and
2) use selected conventional phrases (e.g., “Who are you talking about?” “What did X
do?” “Where did X do…?” “When did X do…?”) to clarify confusing information
and repair the breakdown, in 80% of opportunities.
How to Teach Receptive Conversational Repairs!
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Match cut-out printed stories
• Who?
Bob
• Did What?
watered the flowers
• Where?
in his garden
• When?
last night
Teach story analysis using a blank Six-Second-Story® Therapy Sheet
Systematically omit 1 key element at a time (Who? Did What? Where? When?)
Randomly omit 1 key element
Eliminate the use of visual template
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Goal for Expressive Conversational Repair:
In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, the student will:
1) accurately interpret his/her partner’s facial expression & body language, indicating
that a conversational breakdown has occurred; and
2) use selected phrases (e.g., “Have I lost you?” “You seem confused”), along with
supplying the missing details, to repair the breakdown, in 80% of opportunities
How to Teach Expressive Conversational Repairs!
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
Teach client how to tell “complete” Six-Second-Stories®
Client creates Six-Second-Stories®
Client systematically omits key elements in Six-Second-Stories®
Teach client to “read” confusion on partner’s face
Teach client to do a reality-check with partner
Client makes repairs by providing missing detail(s)
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
Goal for Planning Conversational Kick-Offs:
In 3 consecutive sessions, during structured role play activities, when presented with a
Prompt like What did you do after school yesterday? Or What are your plans for the
weekend? the student will:
1) recognize what information s/he is being asked to provide; and
2) respond appropriately, kicking off a two-way conversation, in 80% of opportunities.
How to Teach Pre-Planning for Conversational Kick-Offs!
Step 1:
Teach story analysis using a blank Six-Second-Story® Therapy Sheet
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
• Who?
My friend, Ian, and I
• Did What?
played soccer with our team
• Where?
at Ann Morrison Park
• When?
after school yesterday
Teach Receptive Conversational Repair
Teach Expressive Conversational Repair
Model & demonstrate appropriate responses to, or initiation of, conversations
Eliminate the use of visual template
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
All About Me Scaffolding
My name is _______________ ___________________. I am a(n) _____________ year old
_______________. I am a student at ________________________ Elementary in _____________
Grade. My teacher’s name is _______ ___________________. I have ________, __________
__________ hair and _____________ eyes. I have ____________ skin and a __________ face.
_______________________________________. I am ____________ in height and have a
_______________ build. I usually wear _________________ and ______________________.
The three words that best describe my personality are:
1)
_______________________
because I _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________;
2)
______________________
because I _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________; and
3)
_______________________
because I _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing
Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web:
All About a Peer Scaffolding
His/her name is _______________ ___________________. S/he is a(n) _____________ year old
___________. S/he is a student at ________________________ Elementary in _____________
Grade. His/her teacher’s name is _______ ___________________. S/he has ______________,
_______ _______________ hair and _____________ eyes. S/he has _________ skin and a
__________ face. S/he is ____________ in height and has a _______________ build. S/he usually
wears ______________________ and _________________________.
The three words that best describe his/her personality are:
1)
_______________________
because s/he ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________;
2)
______________________
because s/he ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________; and
3)
_______________________
because s/he ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing
Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web:
Six-Second-Stories® Generate Topic Sentences
1) Review SGM Icons for The Character/The Setting/Actions and explain:
As storytellers, we need to help our listeners/readers understand what we’re saying
by telling them Who-Did What-Where and When. Tying our ideas together with
important “sticky words” like first, after that, and then, and finally gives our
listeners/readers a logical sequence so that they can follow our train of thought.
2) Introduce Six-Second-Stories® (S3) = Topic Sentence
3) Read The Wheels on the Bus and sing the matching song using gestures
4) Demonstrate how to adapt The Action Sequence Map and write a personal narrative
5) Teach how each of the three components fit together:
1) Write The Bus Driver’s Character Description (kids’ choices)
2) Brainstorm The Setting’s Description
3) Describe The Actions (using cohesive ties)
6) Assign Carryover Activity: Write a personal narrative, like we did together in class
today, in response to the prompt “What did you do over the weekend?”
7) Provide more information on storytelling in this week’s Parent Letter---how
Six-Second-Stories® can help students organize their oral storytelling & writing
Recommended Resources
Assessment Tools:
• Social Thinking Weblog for Parents & Educators (Kuzma) @
http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com
• TalkAbility: People Skills for Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum--A Guide for Parents (Sussman) @ www.hanen.org
• TalkaboutAssessmentTool (Kelly) @ www.alexkelly.biz/TalkaboutAssessmentTool.swf
• The CommunicationLab Profile found in The Survival Guide for School-Based Speech
Language Pathologists (edited by Dodge) @ www.amazon.com
Treatment Materials:
From Autism Asperger Publishing Company, @ www.asperger.net
 My Book of Feelings (Jaffe & Gardner)
 The Incredible 5-Point Scale (Buron & Curtis)
 A “5” Could Make Me Lose Control (Buron)
From Free Spirit Publishing @ www.freespirit.com
 How to Take the Grrr Out of Anger (Verdick & Lisovskis)
plus many other great related titles
From Other Publishers:
 Kimochis (Dodge) @ www.kimochis.com
 The Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions (Madison)
@ www.americangirl.com
Copyright © 2011, Gwynne McElhinney and MindWing Concepts, Inc. • 1-888-228-9746 • Web: www.mindwingconcepts.com
From MindWing Concepts, Inc. @ www.mindwingconcepts.com
 It’s All About the Story! A Guide for Parents & Educators of Children with AS and HFA
 Making Connections! Perspective Taking, Theory of Mind and Pragmatics Using the
Critical Thinking Triangle of the Story Grammar Marker (both by Moreau) and
 Facilitating Relationships! Six-Second-Stories and Other Social Communication
Strategies: An Interactive Guide for Educators and Parents of Children with Social
Learning Challenges (Moreau and McElhinney)
From Think Social Publications @ www.socialthinking.com
 Social Thinking at Work: Why Should I Care? (Winner & Crooke)
 Social Thinking Worksheets for Tweens and Teens (Winner)
 Whole Body Listening Larry at Home! (Wilson & Sautter)
 Whole Body Listening Larry at School! (Sautter & Wilson)
From Youth Light, Inc. @ www.youthlightbooks.com
 How Do I Stand in Your Shoes? (DeBell)
 Teaching Children Empathy, The Social Emotion (Caselman)
From Various Sources:
• Conversations: A Framework for Language Intervention (Hoskins) @ amazon.com
• Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids (McCloud)
@ www.nelsonpublishing and marketing.com
• I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! How about Maybe? (Cook) @ amazon.com
• My Mouth Is A Volcano! (Cook) @ www.ncyi.org
• The Worst Day of My Life Ever! (Cook) @ www.boystownpress.org
• The Social Skills Picture Book (Baker) @ www.futurehorizons-autism.com
Generalization Programs:
 Parent-partnered therapy used at
Gwynne McElhinney’s Lab for Social Intelligence (gwynne6@msn.com)
 Kimochis (Dodge) @ www.kimochis.com
 Think Social Publications (Winner) @ www.socialthinking.com
 The Go-To Guide for Social Skills (Olson) @ www.betterworldbooks.com
• Replacement Behaviors for Instruction
• Suggested Goals & Objectives
• Self-Regulation Strategies
• Research-Based Methods for Carry-Over and
• Generalization Progress Measurement Tools
 See Facilitating Relationships for more details re: SquiGuMs Wristbands
Websites:
Rocky Mountain Autism Center @ www.rockymountainautismcenter.com
The P.L.A.Y. Project @ www.playproject.org
The Hanen Centre @ www.hanen.org
Love and Logic @ www.loveandlogic.com
Tony Attwood @ www.tonyattwood.com.au
Carol Gray @ www.thegraycenter.org
Future Horizons @ www.futurehorizons-autism.com
I see communication as a huge umbrella that covers
and affects all that goes on between human beings.
Once a human being has arrived on this earth,
communication is the largest single factor determining
what kinds of relationships he makes with others and
what happens to him in the world about him.
How he manages his survival, how he develops intimacy,
how productive he is, how he makes sense,
how he connects with his own divinity--all are largely dependent on his communication skills.
~Virginia Satir
Final Thoughts
• Integrating treatment to promote communicative competence (by
teaching listening & speaking, reading & writing skills in a robust
systematic, explicit approach) is a recommended practice.
• The methodology of Six-Second-Stories® is designed to facilitate
conversational skills, relationship development & literacy progress.
• Involving others----educational staff, peers, and especially parents--is the key to the successful transfer of newly-acquired social
competence out of therapy and into the Real World!
• As we improve our treatment of children with social learning
weaknesses, we increase the odds that they will be better integrated
into society, and become healthy, happy, contributing citizens.
I hope that this new school year is a rewarding one for all of
you. Best wishes for success in your pursuit of improved
professional effectiveness!