Course Descriptions

Day F - Information and Agenda

Social Thinking and Transition Planning for the Adult World and Real Life

Course Outline, Objectives, Speakers, Agenda, Contact Info

Course Outline

Transitioning into adulthood and living as young adults can overwhelm individuals born to social learning challenges, even those who are "bright" with strong language skills. This workshop focuses on helping both parents and professionals (teachers, counselors, psychologists) and the students themselves prepare for and respond to this transition. It is important that both adults and students being to consider transition planning while students are in middle school. By providing concrete ways to develop a realistic transition plan, we help students and their parents prepare for life outside the more regimented schedule of the school day.

We will explore the more nuanced expectations of emerging adulthood and strategies to help individuals develop a more mature Social Thinking mindset, including an "I can do this" and "I need to do this" attitude. We will specifically review concrete strategies to teach our students more about the concepts of responsibility, motivation, and anxiety management, and discuss ideas they can use in forming a range of friendships. Ultimately, we want to help our students learn to be more comfortable with the fact they are going to be increasingly uncomfortable with the demands of young adulthood.

We will explore the differences in public law as a high school student transitions from an IEP or 504 plan into an emancipated adult attending a junior college or university program. The workshop day will conclude with practical lessons for promoting accuracy, productivity, and social-emotional problem solving in vocational environments.

Prior to attending this workshop, please feel free to read a blog written by Michelle Garcia Winner and a parent of an adult with social communication challenges:
Adults: Becoming the Directors of Their Own Treatment Teams and Treatment Plans

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

Populations to be discussed: Individuals with high-functioning autism, PDD-NOS, Asperger Syndrome, NLD, ADHD and related disabilities, focusing on those with near normal to far above normal verbal intelligence (verbal IQs above 70). Strategies will concentrate on teenagers, young adults and adults. However, the content will offer guidance for the treatment direction for school-age students.

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

Objectives for Day F:

  1. Participants will be able to describe how the ILAUGH model relates to transition to adulthood issues such as university or job skill success.
  2. Participants will be able to explain a "realistic transition plan" and name three items to focus on during transition planning.
  3. Participants will be able to create a lesson to teach students to evaluate their motivation and become accountable for applying the lessons learned to another setting.
  4. Participants will be able to explain how anxiety can be a "stop sign" in an individual's ability to use Social Thinking and related skills.
  5. Participants will be able to explain a way to teach students to graph their "good" job skills, including being accurate and productive, in addition to Social Thinking.
  6. Participants will be able to explain how a student can learn to identify and prioritize his or her own treatment goals.

STTSC Members Available to Present Day F:

 

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Michelle Garcia Winner
  ThumbbwCrooke_Pam__STTSC_web
  Pamela  Crooke



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AGENDA

7:45-8:30
Register and use appropriate social skills to chat and find a seat! The conference begins at 8:30

8:30-10:00
Define responsibilities of students as they transition into adulthood; clarify differences between IDEA and 504 law while in high school and at universities

10:00-10:15
Break

10:15-12:00
Discuss how different levels of social communication affect mental health and strategies to use with teens and young adults

12:00-12:45
Break for Lunch

12:45-2:15
More strategies for increasing students' self-awareness of purpose, anxiety, motivation, accountability, responsibility, social networking, and social emotional transition planning

2:15-2:30
Break

2:30-3:30
Strategies for post-secondary job coaching: teaching the three core elements of accuracy, productivity, and social communicative problem solving

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