Social thinking is wrapped around holiday celebrations. An article that ran in my local newspaper this week spoke about how careful we have to be about the "clever" advertising of "sales". What is stated is not necessarily to be believed. Consumers beware. For example, a popular chain store advertised "free $25.00 in shopping" but the fine print expressed that this was only if you first spent $100.00. Another store said "25% off the entire store" in large print, but the fine print said "on any purchases over $300.00."

In our society "read the fine print" means: know the deal is never quite as good in reality as it sounds on the surface.

It is a given that to thrive in the adult world one must be very aware and proactive with regards to the mental manipulation we are exposed to on a daily basis provided through our media, political campaigns, advertisements, emails. Am I the only person who receives emails from "relatives" all over the world who have millions upon millions of dollars for me if I only just confirm my existence and affirm my proof of my identity by sending them my social security number, address and birth date?

Our students with social learning challenges are exposed to mental manipulation on a regular basis whether they know it or not. As teachers and parents of these students, we have to remember that the holidays are not just about teaching social thinking and related social skills towards the goal of establishing a calmer and more emotionally satisfying co-existence. We also have to work towards teaching how people or businesses try to get us to think things true that may not be true. What are the clues? What do you know about the world? Do we all tell the truth all the time as we were taught?

This lesson, just like those related to teaching social skills, is invaluable to navigate the teen and adult worlds. Enjoy finding plenty of examples this time of year. Ho, Ho, Ho

© Michelle Garcia Winner 2011
You can link to this website and blog. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you want more information about republishing articles.

All Blogs