Course Descriptions

Day C - Information and Agenda

Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME

Course Outline, Objectives, Speakers, Agenda, Contact Info

Course Outline

Ever tried to figure how most people can intuitively “read” other people and make split second decisions about how to interact with them? The process of social communication requires perspective taking. Perspective taking is not one thing but requires many things to happen at once, including conceptual processing (central coherence), figuring out the gist of the situation (executive functioning), and considering the thoughts and emotions of oneself as well as others (theory of mind). This workshop will explore how central these concepts and their related skills are to all social contact, nonverbal or verbal, intentional or non-intentional. Audiences rave about this workshop day as being filled with research-based information but practical enough to allow audience members to better understand the specific social communication and academic needs of their students/children.

The day starts with exploring the normal development of the social mind. From that we move on to explore the different levels of social learning challenges and how they impact a person across the school and home day and into the adult years. In the afternoon, we will explore basic treatment concepts for our “higher functioning” clients: those related to the Four Steps of Communication and the Four Steps of Perspective Taking, along with other practical treatment strategies. Clips from popular movies and TV shows will demonstrate how these media vehicles can be used to help teach Social Thinking and encourage social learning.

To better understand the different levels of the social mind, we will present information on the Social Thinking-Social Communication Profile™ (formerly known as the Spectrum of Perspective-Taking). It was developed based on years of clinical work focusing on more efficient and effective treatments to help students evolve in their Social Thinking. Four of the seven levels defined in the ST-SCP will be reviewed during this conference day, illuminating how varying levels of social learning lead to different competencies, which helps to explain why some treatments are more effective than others - even when students share the same diagnostic label. Equipped with this knowledge, we are better able to select treatments to help students learn in a way that makes sense to the different ways their brains process social information.

If our goal is to help our students gain access to critical information they can use across their lives, it is essential we move away from the idea that all persons with social learning challenges can benefit from the same treatment group or classroom. The ST-SCP not only facilitates this better understanding of our students’ social and academic learning needs, it helps us define which students need to work on learning social rules versus those students who need help with social nuance, and why this different matters. Come learn why the number of buttons a student buttons on a shirt can guide our treatment practices! This is a fascinating day to explore how the little characteristics we notice in our students may be symptoms of a deeper social learning challenge.

Intended audiences: teachers; speech-language pathologists; therapists (MFTs; LCSWs; OTs; PTs); autism specialists; clinical, educational, developmental psychologists; clinical and educational administrators; physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, particularly those in developmental practice; social workers; paraprofessionals; parents and other family members and caregivers of students with social thinking challenges.

Populations to be discussed: School-age students  and adults who have social and communication difficulties, including but not limited to those related to high-functioning autism, PDD-NOS, Asperger Syndrome, NLD, ADHD and undiagnosed challenges. Information presented concentrates on students with near normal to far above normal verbal intelligence (verbal IQs above 70). Most strategies focus on school-age children and adults, although the information is helpful for those living and working with younger children.

Please scroll to the bottom of this page for the agenda.

Objectives for Day C:

  1. Participants will be able to define what "perspective taking" means and how it impacts learning as well as social communication.
  2. Participants will be able to define at least four different levels of the Social Thinking-Social Communication Profile.
  3. Participants will be able to explain why some treatment programs work for one level of ST-SCP functioning and are not as effective with another functioning level.
  4. Participants will be able to define the term "thinking with your eyes" and apply its use in educational situations.
  5. Participants will be able to state the four different steps involved in developing social communication skills.
  6. Participants will be able to describe a set of treatment activities that align with each of the four steps.

STTSC Members Available to Present Day C

 

ThumbbwWinner_Michelle_STTSC_web
Michelle Garcia Winner
 ThumbbwMadrigal_Steph_STTSC_web
Stephanie Madrigal		  ThumbbwCrooke_Pam__STTSC_web
Pamela Crooke		 ThumbbwPalmer_Kari_STTSC_web
Kari    Palmer 		  ThumbbwDecker_Kathy_STTSC_web
Cathy  Decker
 ThumbbwMeringolo_Debbie_STTSC_web
Debbie Meringolo		  ThumbbwClements_Nancy_STTSC_webNancy Clements  ThumbbwAttaway_Renee_STTSC_web
Renee Attaway		 ThumbbwTarshis_Nancy_STTSC_web
Nancy  Tarshis



BASbutton

AGENDA

7:45-8:30
Register and use appropriate social skills to chat! The workshop begins at 8:30

8:30-10:30
Investigating the early development of the social mind: Theory of Mind, executive functions and central coherence and how these work together to enable perspective taking.

10:30-10:40
Break

10:40-12:00
Introduction to the Social Thinking-Social Communication Profile

12:00 to 12:40
Break for Lunch

12:40-2:10
Continue exploring four of the seven levels of the ST-SCP; explore social thinking treatments based on the Four Steps of Communication

2:10-2:20
Break

2:20-3:30
Exploring lessons related to each of the Four Steps of Communication; demonstrating how media videoclips can be used to expand on lessons

If you have questions, please contact:

Social Thinking
3031 Tisch Way, Suite 800
San Jose, CA 95128

Phone: (408) 557-8595 ext. 302 Fax (408) 557-8594
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
website: www.socialthinking.com



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