Social Thinking: Cognition to Enhance Communication and Learning by Michelle Garcia-Winner Chapter 9.

Social Thinking: Cognition to Enhance Communication and Learning

by Michelle Garcia-Winner

Chapter 9

Social Learning

For individuals with ASDs, social learning is a cognitive, rather than intuitive experience

Teaching social skills should be one of the primary goals for any treatment program for students with ASDs

Social Algebra

The scope and complexity of social skills rivals the most complicated science

An individual must determine how to use body, eyes, facial expression, words, etc. At the right time In the right place All in synchrony

What are good social skills?

How well we follow the hidden social rules of the environment

Adjusting our behavior to help people around us to have “normal” or “good” thoughts about us, regardless of whether or not we’re interacting with them

For example …

What are the unwritten social rules of riding an elevator?Can you think of anything you might

do when you’re alone on an elevator that would be unacceptable if you’re riding with other people?

Taking Perspective

Thinking about the others around you and then regulating your behavior around the group’s needs = taking perspective of the others around youOthers may not react when you do it

well, but they definitely react when you don’t

Four Steps of Perspective Taking

1. When you come into my space, I have a little thought about you, and you have a little thought about me.

Four Steps of Perspective Taking

2. I wonder: Why are you near me? What is your purpose for being near me? Is it because you are just sharing the space? Or do you intend to talk to me? Or do you intend to harm me?”

I have to consider all these things in order to keep myself safe around other people, as well as to predict what will happen next.

Four Steps of Perspective Taking

3. Since we have thoughts about each other, I wonder what you are thinking about me?

Four Steps of Perspective Taking

4. To keep you thinking about me the way I would like you to, I monitor and possibly modify my behavior.

Different Challenges in Perspective Taking

Students with classical autism have difficulty with Step 1--Realizing that others are having thoughts about them and that they should be forming thoughts about those around them

Different Challenges in Perspective Taking

Students with Asperger Syndrome may know the rules for the environment and get upset when anyone else violates them.They may not recognize that others

have very strong expectations of them as well.

How Social Cognition Evolves in Neurotypical Children1. Joint Attention

(90% of infants who don’t develop joint attention by 12 mos. are later diagnosed with an ASD)

2. Early Symbolic Communication (pointing with index finger to communicate interest to another person)

How Social Cognition Evolves

3. Imitation of Other’s Movements

4. Parallel Play

5. Cooperative Play (language typically evolves simultaneously)

How Social Cognition Evolves

6. Complex Interactions (by age 4)• Anticipate actions of others• Read others’ thoughts and emotions• Initiate language to share thoughts

and ideas about the world

How Social Cognition Evolves

7. By age 6, learning that others may lie, cheat, or steal to get what they want

• Becoming more sophisticated at trying to “read” others’ intentions

Importance of Social Competence Social competence in early elementary

years is positively correlated with higher levels of functioning in school and adult life

Those who are “academic stars” at a young age, but don’t develop good social skills typically are not as successful as adults Common pattern w/ Asperger Syndrome

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition

Designed to help us understand the social communication challenges in ASDs

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition

I = Initiation of LanguageThe ability to use one’s language and

communication skills to seek assistance or information

• Even students who talk a lot (to share their own thoughts) may not be able to use their words to communicate when they don’t know the answer

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition L = Listening with Eyes and Brain

Listening requires not just auditory comprehension (already a weak point), but also “active listening” or “whole-body listening”

• Integrating information you see with what you hear, in order to understand the deeper concept of the message, or

• Making an educated guess about what is being said when you cannot clearly hear it

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition A = Abstract and Inferential

Language/CommunicationSometimes, in order to comprehend

the message being communicated, you must analyze not just the words, but:

• The context in which they are used• Subtle verbal and nonverbal cues given

by the speaker

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition U = Understanding Perspective

The ability to understand others’• emotions• thoughts and beliefs • prior experiences • shared knowledge• motives • intentions • personalities

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition

G = Gestalt Processing/Getting the Big PictureInformation is conveyed through

concepts, not just a collection of factsKey to understanding social and

academic informationRoot of problems with executive

function

ILAUGH Model of Social Cognition

H = HumorMany students with ASDs have good

sense of humor, but anxiety causes them to miss subtle social cues that help them interact more successfully

• Use humor and compassion to help minimize their anxiety

• If student uses humor inappropriately, you may need to teach direct lessons on this topic

Teaching “Social Skills” vs.“Social Thinking and Related Skills”

In teaching social skills, we teach a student what to do in a given situation, then reinforce that behavior

In teaching social thinking and related skills, we teach the student how people think in different situations, plus what social behaviors are expected, based on that teaching

Choose the Best Intervention for the Individual

Students w/ ASDs may share some common characteristics, but also can vary greatly in their strengths and challenges

No single intervention works for all students Base choice of intervention on individual

student’s needs We can give some general guidelines

Intervention for Students with Classical or Moderate Autism

Students with autism + intellectual disability, without strong language skills, need:

a. A functional communication system that will allow them to communicate wants, needs, and emotions

b. Visual supports

Intervention for Students with Classical or Moderate Autism

c. Clearly listed expectations using pictures and/or words (as appropriate)

d. Expectations that are consistent and adhered to

e. Positive praise and reinforcement

f. Functional academic lessons that the student can use across environments

Intervention for Students with HFA Students who use immature language structures or

unsophisticated communication skills also likely have limitations in their ability to predict others’ motives, thoughts, and emotions

They will benefit from an intensive program that includes many aspects of the training for students with classical to moderate autism, plus:

• Instruction in abstract language• Structured activities broken down into doable

chunks• Concrete, explicit lessons of clear expectations

consistently applied in a positive environment• Low-stress academic lessons

Intervention for Students with HFA Lessons about social thinking can be

introduced slowly• Expect lessons to move slowly and

probably not be “mastered”

Intervention for Asperger Syndrome & PDD-NOS

4. Students with ASDs and strong cognitive and language skills typically have trouble with:

Group projects Social interactions Written expression Social literature Work they see as “pointless” (because

they have difficulty understanding teacher’s motives in assigning it)

Intervention for Asperger Syndrome & PDD-NOS

Students with high cognitive and language skills benefit most from cognitive behavior interventionIncluding direct teaching about social

cognition

Cognitive Behavior Strategies

Strategies that teach the student to think more deeply about the concept being explored and to adapt his behavior to the situation Metacognition = the ability to “think about

thinking”

The Problem of Generalization

Many students w/ ASDs tend to learn to use a specific skill in the environment where it is taught, but fail to generalize it to similar contexts or settings

Advantage of Cognitive Behavior Strategies

Teaching students through suggestion, explanation, and reasoning fosters better generalization than use of coercive controls such as external rewards and punishments

4 Steps of Communication

Social thinking model that teaches that interpersonal communication unfolds in a highly predictable manner

4 Steps of Communication

In order to speak to someone in person, you must

1. Think about them, and what they are thinking about you

2. Establish a physical presence • Stand close (usually about an arm’s

length away) with your shoulders turned towards the person, which communicates your intent to talk to them

4 Steps of Communication

3. Use your eyes to think about them• Looking them in the eye signals to them that

you want to communicate • They acknowledge that they know you want to

communicate by making eye contact with you

4. Use language to relate to them• Relating means not just “downloading” your

information to them, but regulating your language to meet the other person’s needs

Conclusions

Our ability to use social skills with nuance and sophistication depends heavily upon our social thinking/cognition

The functioning level of the person on the autism spectrum largely determines the level of social cognition he can access

Conclusions

We can help facilitate the social thinking and related skills for all students with ASDs; the best approach depends on the student’s functional level.