What is Social Thinking
Social Thinking: Spread the Word. A Collaborative Approach to Training and Development in the Schools
Cathy Decker
Friday, June 22, 2012 1:00 PM
Description of Workshop
A description of a successful, school district wide collaborative approach leading to: 1) The training of teachers, paraprofessionals, speech pathologists, and other related services providers incorporating social thinking practices and 2) the development of several classroom-based delivery models.The training model is a year-long study group. As part of the design participants are required to attend class one evening per month and to spend a minimum of two hours per month in collaboration and implementation of a social thinking lesson in the classroom. Participants can receive continuing education credit, which is available for ASHA, state recertification, and school district continuing education requirements for little or no cost to them. As a result, teachers and related services personnel feel more comfortable addressing the social language needs of their students throughout the school environment.
Through the successes observed in the classroom and feedback from teachers, related services staff, and parents, the administrators have been willing to support the schools with material, personnel and the creative designing of social language programs. Several classroom-based models, including a high school social skills elective class will be discussed.
Objectives
- List 3 benefits of a yearlong social thinking study group course.
- Describe the purpose of an elective social skills class.
- Describe the collaborative delivery model used in the structured learning class.