Let's Teach

Teaching skill acquisition so the student can master coping with less structured situations requires even more planning than the restructuring of time and setting (For ideas on how to teach the skills the student needs, see other ICAN lessons as shown in the Introduction). There are many facets to consider.

Who Will Teach What?

Teaching skill acquisition so the student can master coping with less structured situations requires even more planning than the restructuring of time and setting. (For ideas on how to teach the skills the student needs, see other ICAN topics as shown in the Introduction.) There are many facets to consider.

Decide within the plan who will be accountable for teaching specific skills, how instruction will be approached, and in what settings. For instance, who will develop playground activities, and who will be designated as safe people that the student knows he can approach for assistance? Everyone needs to be clear on their roles. Someone also needs to have the authority to decide on a regular meeting schedule, to facilitate meetings, and to call emergency meetings when things don’t run smoothly. Among other things, this person checks with other team members at regular intervals to be sure they are on target.

It is important to bring the family in as members of the team and to encourage their participation in creating the framework of interventions, since the needed interventions will extend beyond the school building. Most families are able to do their part, provided their role is defined, they are regarded as equal members of the team, and they are encouraged to report progress and pitfalls to the group along with everyone else. Parents will require training, just as school personnel, if they are to succeed at complex and specialized teaching and intervention strategies. Parents can be responsible for providing the student with clear expectations in home and community settings (i.e., expectations in a restaurant or at a relative’s birthday party). They can also provide the child with clear choices, plans of action, prompts to use interventions (i.e., prompting the child to use the fidget brought along to the dentist’s office) and rewards when he remembers to utilize them on his own. Finally, they can offer much praise when the child recognizes problem situations and comes up with solutions to help himself cope.

Teaching would consist of:

• Deciding upon the social skills required to succeed in target settings or situations (these might be revealed on a scope and sequence)
• An emphasis on choice-making and problem-solving skills, allowing for monitored practice, and self-assessment
• Teaching the individual to recognize signs of boredom or agitation/anxiety in him/herself, and the connection to the need an alternate plan
• Using a variety of teaching tools (as listed in the introduction) such as social stories, hidden curriculum, SOCCSS, etc.

What Impact Will Teaching Have?

• It provides for a safer environment
• It provides for acquisition and generalization of social skills
• It can result in stress reduction, which also leads to increased behavioral control
• It increases social acceptability
• It increases independence and self-confidence