Social Skills Training - Your Experience!

I have a 16 son with asperger's and an 11 year old with high function autism. Getting the diagnosis is a story for another time. My 16 yo wasn't diagnosed until the 3rd grade. He was put in a social skills group that was done by the school. He had fun in these classes and learned about asking people questions about themselves and to not always talk about himself. Unfortunately, the classes only lasted for five weeks during the school year. With only one class per week. We moved and the new school had a program called "Circle of Friends". To be in this program students not on an IEP had to have at least a B grade or better. I have watched the groups interact. I felt the point was missed in these groups. I totally supported the group and was able to see the improvement in my son. The only thing ever talked about was the learning that was happening on the part of the children with the disabilities. They were not the only ones learning. The students w/o an IEP were learning as well. They were learning that these other kids were people with feelings as well. They were learning that it is not okay to pick on, make fun of or bully them just because they are different. The really sad part was that my younger son was in the same school under the direction of another teacher. I asked her if she would use the program and she told me to leave her alone and not tell her how to do her job.

Hi 2asdkids, and welcome to IAN.

You are so right that having a "circle of friends" or "lunch bunch" type program teaches a great deal to the typical children, too. They will encounter people with differences all their lives, especially in the work place. It is very valuable for all concerned.

It is very disappointing to hear of the other teacher's attitude towards the groups. One thing to keep in mind is the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. Whether the teacher likes it or not, you could certainly call a team meeting and propose adding participation in the social skills or "circle of friends" group to the IEP.

I would be interested in hearing how other parents have handled similar situations. What have you done when a teacher or other person at the school has blocked access to a program or intervention that you felt would benefit your child?

I am in the process of starting a social club for teenagers with aspergers syndrome. This club will be free - no fees. I've researched Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking concept and want to incorporate her curriculum into this club.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions about funding, grants, etc.? I'm going to start the club without funding, but would like it to expand in order to help other teens and their parents who don't have the money to join a fee-based group.

Thank you in advance for any information you can give me.

Regina

Hi reillymom2boys.

Welcome to IAN.

I hope our readers will have some ideas for you.

I thought you might be interested in knowing about the Autism Speaks' Community Grant program: http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/family_services/grants.php

They have a formal application process, and it appears that an established organization has to apply, so this may not work for you at present, but at least it illustrates what institutions providing such funds might be looking for or require.

I also wonder if local charitable or community organizations might be a source of funds. There are often small grants being awarded by all sorts of foundations. You might be able to find a grant writing course locally --maybe at the community college-- that would help you learn how to identify and apply for these. If you're out on your own, and it becomes clear you need organizational backing, you might find you need to partner with an established non-profit or other organization focused on individuals with disabilities, etc.

Best of luck in this endeavor. There is such a need for more community programs, including those which provide social skills groups.

I haven't had much experience, if any. As child, I was put inot a couple "thearpy groups" and it was usualy to learn to be asserive vs. agressive. that is all I can remember of them. that was 23 years ago. I am now 35 and there is no social groups in my area that I know of for adults with Aspergers. It took 34 years to finally diagnose, correctly, my Aspergers. I am a female. I also have an 8 year old son with HFA. I find it easier to not socialize, as I always seem to say the wrong thing to people.

Hi FrogGirl, and welcome to IAN.

I just wanted to let you know that there are some groups of adults with autism spectrum disorders who are beginning to organize or meet.

There is a discussion site here: http://www.wrongplanet.net

GRASP (for Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership) has support groups around the country and online: http://grasp.org/res_sg.htm

In addition, some chapters of the Autism Society of America are beginning to have support groups or other assistance for adults with ASD. You can find your local chapter here: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=community_chapters

A national initiative for adults with ASD has also just begun. That is called Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA): http://www.afaa-us.org/site/c.llIYIkNZJuE/b.5063863/k.BE3C/Home.htm

Suetois wrote:

We've had our kids in social skills therapy for a long time now, and I can see where there has been some benefit to it. Certainly, the social contact they have is good for them. It was interesting to see the IAN Report coming to the same tentative conclusions. I'm thinking that this may be one of those areas where really intensive work would produce more obvious improvements. Maybe if social skills training was an every day thing the way ABA is (or combined with ABA) the kids could best access the information we're trying to get across to them. Of course ABA is *so* expensive. Even the weekly social skills sessions we take our kids to add up over time. Our 17 year-old has been going since he was about 8 or 9 yo. I added the cost up recently and came up with about $30,000. There's no way we could afford to provide daily sessions for him--nor does anybody offer it (that I know of). I just think that if we could immerse him in a social skills environment we probably would see the sorts of improvements that other people see with ABA. Perhaps this is what children with higher functioning forms of Asperger's would respond to. That may be why the IAN Report found better results when parents were taught to continue the training at home through homework etc.

Sue

Social skills/ social interaction is deffinately one of the most intriguing aspects of working with my student: 6th grade, {just started middle school} social skills equivelant to K/1. He desperately wants to be accepted by peers, but does not understand the communication of other 6th grade students. Anger is the usual result from an interaction involving what others would call humor, or conversation that is off the topic he has set. He does seem to be able to communicate with more mature girls, but he is unable/unwilling to converse with boys who are not at his level of maturity.

I guess my question would be: How can I help to create a group of peers that would allow and foster social development/interaction with out drawing out, or feeding into the "FUD" [Feer,Uncertainty,Doubt] or interacting appropriately with his classmates.

Hi Fred, and welcome to IAN.

We still don't have social skills programs that have been tested against each other so that we know what the best one is, and for kids with which profile. See our article, "Social Skills Interventions: Getting to the Core of Autism," here: http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/what_do_we_know/social_skills_interventions

However, I am glad to say research is underway in this area. (Researchers here at Kennedy Krieger, for example, are working with one of our local school districts to compare "social skills as usual" with a new program they have developed.)

In the meantime, there are many who have developed programs in the trenches, some with workbooks and ideas to share. These people also offer workshops around the country or speak at family conferences. I am thinking here of people like:

Michelle Garcia Winner: http://www.socialthinking.com/

Jed Baker: http://www.jedbaker.com/

Basically, many ideas have been tried so it's best to not start from scratch but benefit from the experiences of other professionals who have tried various peer-based social skills interventions. You might inquire about anyone well known for successful programs in your local area, as well. Sometimes, one school has an excellent program going and the school in the next district over has no idea there is such a program they could imitate or learn from.

Best of luck with your students!

Communication and connection is something that is lacking here for sure. Other schools have classrooms set aside just for students with ASD's...but I am left here all alone to deal with issues as they arrise.

Hello everyone. I am a recreation therapist. I have been providing recreation therapy in a school district in my home state of Arkansas. 90% of my students are on the autism spectrum.

What I see that social skills training continually misses, is the opportunity for typical peer interaction. Yes socia stories and comic stip information is great, but it is just a step in a process.

I use both in my therapy with the students, which usually starts in the therapy room. Once I have the student sensory comfortable, I use videos, music and some common computer software. We then go to the activity that the information represents.

Recreation is my key to my treatment as it teaches sequencing skills, vestibular input, and I can easily include typical peers into the therapy. I have done quite a bit of research on how the autism brain is functioning and I use these methods as well.

I just started in the schools, however I have a lot of previous experience with school environments and how IEPs and everything that goes along with it works.

At the end of the year, all students on the spectrum, had increased their typical peer set, participation in PE class, sensory calming and five of the students accompanied me on an overnight respite.

Check your states Special Education website, where you will see that recreation therapy is a related service under IDEA.