1、Teaching Social Skills: The Cornerstone of SW-PBS,Tim Lewis, Ph.D. University of MissouriOSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports pbis.org,1-5%,1-5%,5-10%,5-10%,80-90%,80-90%,Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success,Universal,Matrix of school-wide expectations across se
2、ttings List of problems = replacements “Scope and sequence” of social skills Simple lessons with activities Year long teaching schedule,Benton,Small Group,Students displaying social skill challenges as primary concern Set of skills targeting common concerns Set of clear generalization strategies for
3、 classroom teachers to implement,Individual,Social skill deficits / performance problem Guided by functional behavioral assessment Replacement “social skill” meets need Environment supports use of new skill High rates of reinforcement New skill accesses previous function of problem behavior,Social S
4、kill Instruction,Definitions Functional Perspective Best Practices,Definition- Social Competence,“Social competence represents an evaluative term based on judgments (given certain criteria) that a person has performed a task adequately. These judgments may be based on opinions of significant others
5、(e.g., parents, teachers), comparisons to explicit criteria (e.g., number of social tasks correctly performed in relation to some criterion), or comparisons to some normative sample.” (Gresham, 1986, p. 146),Definition -Social Skills,Social skills are defined as “those behaviors which, within a give
6、n situation, predict important social outcomes“ (Gresham, 1986, p. 5).a) social skills are simply one facet of an overall construct of social competence if taught in isolation you will never reach the larger objective of improved social functioning, b) they are linked to the environment in which the
7、y occur, and c) targeted skills should reflect the larger school set of behavioral expectations,Functional Perspective,“Inappropriate” social skills meet student need and until we teach an “appropriate” skill and alter the environment, they will continue to use the inappropriate,Best Practices,Steps
8、 in Social Skill Instruction,Assessment Planning Lesson Development Teaching Generalization,Assessment: Student Identification (Data, System),Use of existing data / assessment sources such as ODR, visits to discipline room, teacher referral, number of “buddy room” visits,Assessment: Skill Selection
9、(Data),Teacher Ratings Ratings by others Direct ObservationImportance of discussing cultural, language, and other factors that impact perceptions of “appropriate” social skills,Assessment: Teacher Ratings,The Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment. Pro-Ed. (elementary & se
10、condary versions) Teacher-Preferred Social BehaviorPeer-Preferred Social Behavior School Adjustment Behavior,Assessment: Teacher Ratings,Social Skill Improvement System (SSIS) Elliott & Gresham. Pearson (ages 3-18) Social skills acquisition deficits No interfering problem behavior Social skills perf
11、ormance deficits Interfering problem behavior Social skills strengths,Assessment: Direct Observation,Outcomes: Needed social skills Problem type skill deficiency performance problem maintenance / generalization problems Examples for instruction and tests,Planning Requirements (practices, systems),Cu
12、rriculum / Lesson Plans Adapt/adopt Group procedures Generalization strategies,Curriculum Analysis (system),What instructional components are included in the curriculum? Is the curriculum adaptable to individual needs? Can the curriculum be used with small groups? Can personnel implement the curricu
13、lum without specialized training beyond that described in the curriculum? Is the cost implementation reasonable and manageable? Are strategies included that will promote maintenance and generalization of skills? (Carter & Sugai, 1989, p. 38),Lesson Components (practices),rule for when to use the ski
14、ll set of useful skill variations teach the rule (TELL) demonstrate the skill (SHOW) students practice the skill (PRACTICE) review and test the skill (PRACTICE) assign homework (PRACTICE)Teaching social skills follows the same format as teaching academic skills,Lesson Plans: Teach (tell),definition
15、of essential rule description of skill components and variations,Lesson Plans: Demonstrate (show),model / demonstrate the skill select competent and respected students and adults only the teacher models incorrect responses select examples from natural context at least two positive demonstrations of
16、each example,Lesson Plans: Practice,role play activities focus on relevant features have student “think aloud“ teacher can provide coaching during lesson involve all members of the group by assigning tasks / questions have student self evaluate after activity,Lesson Plans: Review & Test More Practic
17、e,review essential rule for the day test on untrained examples through role plays test each student as often as possible (daily) request demonstration of skill whenever possible (verbally or role play) lesson homework,Group Procedures (practices, system),Who & how many in small groups?5-8 When & how
18、 long meet? At least weekly over the school year Who teaches? Combination Basic behavior management Routines Expectations Attention signal IncentivesSocial skill outcomes, expectations, etc. must be connected to the school-wide PBS/MBI system,Maintenance & Generalization,Connect points to larger Sch
19、ool-wide System (system, policy),Promoting Maintenance and Generalization,Strategies To Use During Training (practices)Use naturally occurring examples within role playsUse naturally occurring reinforcersUse language of school-wide PBS systemPinpoint activities students likely to engage,Promoting Ma
20、intenance and Generalization,Strategies To Use During Training (practices) Train in the targeted setting During training, include peers the target student(s) likely to encounter in the problem setting Use a number of trainers or other adults during training Continue training for a sufficient amount
21、of time,Promoting Maintenance and Generalization,Strategies to Use Within the Target Setting (system, policy)Prompt students to display skill (Pre-Corrects)Reinforce displays of skills in generalized settings using language of school-wide PBS system Enlist a variety of others to prompt and reinforce
22、 skills in generalized settingsIndividual contracts and behavior change plansGroup contingencies,Small Group Social Skill,Important Themes,Part of a continuum must link to school-wide PBS system Efficient and effective way to identify students Assessment = simple sort Intervention matched to present
23、ing problem but not highly individualized,Assessment,Social-Behavioral Concerns Social skills Self-management Academic Concerns Peer Tutors Check in/check out Homework club Emotional Concerns Mentors,School Specific,Social Skill Club Lunch Bunch Self-Management Center,Social Skills Club Student Sele
24、ction,Designed to meet the needs of repeat offenders Criteria for selection: 8 or more referrals across previous school yearFocus =,Social Skills Club,Parent letters to extend “invitation” Voluntary participation Presented as prevention/support Encouraged parent participationFocus =,Social Skills Cl
25、ub Instructors,Special Educator with fluency in social skill instruction General Educator Access to technical assistance and resourcesFocus =,Social Skills Club Group Management,Two adults! Club expectations linked to school-wide expectations Rules and expectations for group participation in role pl
26、ay Planned fun Reinforcement system linked to school-wide system Focus =,Social Skills Club Curriculum & Delivery of Instruction,Collected and prepared materials from a variety of sources. One hour per week after school for the academic school year Attention to pre-requisite skills for participating
27、 in lessons. Structured format: Advanced Organizer, Teach, Model, Role play, Review, Test & HomeworkFocus =,Social Skills Club Generalization,Posters of each lesson given to classroom teachers to display in class and use as visual prompt. “Club” participants present weekly social skill lesson to fro
28、m club to their class. Staff instructed on how to prompt and reinforce Focus =,Individual Social Skills,Teaching replacement behaviors to meet communicative intent of problem behavior,Functional Assessment,Behavior is learned Do not assume children know your rules, expectations, or social skills Eve
29、ry social interaction you have with a child teaches him/her something,Functional Assessment,Behavior communicates need Children engage in behavior(s) to “get“ something or to “avoid“ something Need is determined by observing what happens prior to and immediately after behavior,Functional Assessment,
30、Concerned with the functional relationships between BEHAVIOR and the TEACHING ENVIRONMENT “Functional Relationships” When “X” happens, high degree of likelihood “Y” will result,Functional Assessment: Outcomes,Hypotheses about functional relationships Reoccurring chains of behavior,Functional-Based I
31、nterventions,Teach replacement behavior(s) that result in same/similar outcome Environment should not allow problem behavior to result in previous outcomes Replacement behavior must be more efficient than problem behavior,Teach Alternative Behavior,Function = Receives Attention Social skills that ac
32、cess attention appropriately Social skills that delay access to desired objects or events Function = Escape Social skills that access assistance with difficult tasks Social skills to avoid negative adult & peer interactions,Modify Environment,Attention Withhold attention for problem behavior Provide
33、 high rates of reinforcement for replacement behavior,Modify Environment,Escape Do not allow student to “escape” tasks unless they use pro-social alternative behavior Modify tasks to promote high rates of engaged time,Final Thoughts,Fluency in essential features social skill instruction Apply basic logic of SW-PBS (data, practices, systems) Emphasize system components Effective instruction Intensity of social skill instruction matches continuum logic,
