Social Skills Success for Students with Autism / Asperger's: Helping Adolescents on the Spectrum to Fit In

Social Skills Success for Students with Autism / Asperger's: Helping Adolescents on the Spectrum to Fit In

Social Skills Success for Students with Autism / Asperger's: Helping Adolescents on the Spectrum to Fit In

Social Skills Success for Students with Autism / Asperger's: Helping Adolescents on the Spectrum to Fit In

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Overview

The only evidence-based program available for teaching social skills to adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

Two nationally known experts in friendship formation and anxiety management address the social challenges faced by adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The book helps educators instruct youth on conversing with others, displaying appropriate body language, managing anxiety, initiating and participating in get-togethers, and more. The book is filled with helpful information on ASD to aid teachers who have received little training on the topic. Extremely practical, the book includes lesson plans, checklists, and sidebars with helpful advice.

  • Based on UCLA's acclaimed PEERS program, the only evidence-based approach to teaching social skills to adolescents with ASD
  • Contains best practices for working with parents, which is the key to helping kids learn social skills
  • The authors discuss the pros and cons of teaching students with ASD in educational settings like full inclusion (good for academics but bad for social skills) and pull-out special day classes (where the reverse is true)

Provides a much-needed book for teachers at all levels for helping students develop the skills they need to be successful.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780470952382
Publisher: Wiley
Publication date: 11/15/2011
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 7.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Fred Frankel, Ph.D., is a professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the director of the UCLA Parent Training and Children's Friendship Programs. A coauthor of UCLA's acclaimed PEERS social skills training program and the author of Friends Forever: How Parents Can Help Their Kids Make and Keep Good Friends, he speaks regularly on the topic of autism and social skills to professionals and parents alike. More information is available at http://www.semel.ucla.edu/socialskills. 

Jeffrey J. Wood, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Education and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, and is a licensed clinical psychologist. He is the coauthor of Child Anxiety Disorders and is researching cognitive-behavioral interventions for students with autism and Asperger's syndrome, childhood anxiety, and the development of children's close friendships.

Table of Contents

About the Authors iii

Acknowledgments v

Introduction 1

Our Approach to Social Skills Training 3

The Knowledge Base Behind This Book 4

Children’s Friendship Training/PEERS 4

Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies for Emotional Self-Regulation 6

The Purpose of This Book 7

How to Use This Book 8

Part I: Basic Information About Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder 11

Chapter 1: What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder? 13

Challenges Facing Neuro typical Teens 14

Becoming Independent from Parents 14

Preparing for a Vocation or Career 15

Adjusting to the Physical and Psychosexual Changes of Puberty 16

Developing Values and Identity 16

Establishing Effective Relationships with Peers 16

Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders 18

Misleading Aspects of Communication 18

Deficits in Expression and Communication 19

Easily Corrected Deficits in Understanding Others 22

Coping with Anxiety-Producing Situations 24

Chapter 2: Making Inclusion More Successful for Students with Autism 27

History of the Inclusion Movement 28

Parent Views About Inclusion 29

Types of Educational Placement 29

Traditional Teacher Roles in Partially and Fully Included Classrooms 32

Research Findings on Inclusion 32

Social Integration into School Life 33

Mainstream Success of Students on the Autism Spectrum 34

Approaches for Social Inclusion with Neuro typical Teens 35

Teen Altruism 37

Chapter 3: Classroom Management and Social Skills Groups 43

Classroom Management for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders 44

Segregated Students 44

Partially Included Students 45

Fully Included Students 46

Consequences for Misbehavior 47

Organizing Social Skills Groups for Tweens and Teens 48

How to Organize Groups at School 49

How to Have Teens Take the Class 49

How to Engage Teens in Class Discussions 50

Have Some Fun Activities 50

Have ‘‘Real-Life’’ Homework 50

Involving Parents in Social Skills Training 51

Part II: Interventions for Basic Social Skills 53

Chapter 4: Helping Students Expand Their Interests 55

Problems in Conversation Versus Problems in Interests 56

Socially Functional Interests 57

Interference Due to Anxiety 58

Building on Current Interests 58

Assessing Student Interests 59

Lessons to Expand Interests 62

Chapter 5: Improving Comprehension of Figurative Language 73

Idioms 74

Irony and Sarcasm 75

Types of Sarcasm 76

Recognizing Sarcasm 76

Teaching Sarcasm and Irony 77

Chapter 6: Improving Conversational Comprehension 87

Goals of Conversations 88

Ensuring Mutual Understanding 89

Conversational Repair Strategies 90

Teaching Better Task-Oriented Conversations, Accuracy Checks, and Repair Statements 91

Chapter 7: Improving Social Conversations 99

Potential Understanding of Conversational Goals 100

Small Talk 101

Parts of Conversations 102

Chapter 8: Helping Students Choose Friends 109

Neurotypical Teen Relationships 110

Friends of Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders 111

The Internet and Friendships 113

Appropriate Friends for Teens on the Spectrum 113

Common Errors Adults Make in Offering Friendship Help 115

Requiring Inclusion 115

Attempting to Pair Students 116

Assigning Peer Buddies 116

How Educators Can Help Foster Friendships of Teens on the Spectrum 117

Part III: More Intensive Interventions to Help Kids Fit in 121

Chapter 9: Understanding and Assessing Anxiety. 123

How Anxiety Works 124

Clinical Levels of Anxiety 125

How Anxiety Exacerbates Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder 126

Outbursts and Meltdowns 128

Types of Anxiety in Students with Autism 129

Social Anxiety 130

Generalized Anxiety 132

Separation Anxiety 133

Assessing Anxiety 135

Chapter 10: Interventions to Reduce Anxiety and Outbursts 147

PhaseI: Skill Building 150

Knowing I’m Nervous 150

Irritating Thoughts 151

Calm Thoughts 152

Keep Practicing 153

PhaseII: Practicing the Skills 154

Lesson Plans 155

Chapter 11: Preventing and Dealing with Victimization 187

Types of Victimization 188

Teasing 188

Physical Aggression 189

Bullying 190

Cyberbullying 194

Effective Ways of Handling Bullying 198

Teaching Safety 198

Improving Reputation Among Peers 199

Informal Approaches to Head Off Continuing Bullying 200

Effective Ways of Handling Cyberbullying 205

Chapter 12: Working with Peer Mentors 211

Commonly Used Alternatives to Mentoring 213

Job Description of the Cross-Age Mentor 213

Step 1: Selecting Mentors 214

Step 2: Selecting Mentees 216

Step 3: Mentor Orientation 218

Step 4: Matching Mentor and Mentee 218

Step 5: The Mentorship Term 219

Step 6: Assessment 220

Conclusion: Helping Kids on the Spectrum Find Their Own Place in the World 227

Resources and References 229

Index 239

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