Foster social-awareness and self-regulation throughout the day! Use the Social Behavior Mapping framework to help individuals figure out the hidden social rules of a situation based on what is happening and the people present and explore how the Social-Emotional Chain Reaction is unfolding. See below for a deeper dive into the concept. This poster’s dry-erase surface enables it to be used and reused across the day and across infinite contexts (use dry-erase markers only). It also outlines the 10-step teaching sequence to deepen the learning. Dimensions: 18" width x 24" height. For examples of filled-in maps, check out the book Social Behavior Mapping.

Poster Updated with 10 Steps

Social Behavior Mapping is a powerful tool when taught correctly. We’ve updated this dry-erase poster to guide you through the 10 steps to teaching Social Behavior Mapping with fidelity:

• Numbers have been added to indicate the sequence for working through the map to enhance learning
• A “People” field has been added at the top to identify who is involved in the situation
• A handy “Tip” section has been added to help inspire ideas when brainstorming expected and unexpected behaviors
• A “Sum It Up” prompt has been added as the final step to drive home the concepts

The Framework

What’s happening around us influences our thoughts and feelings, reactions and responses. Social Behavior Mapping, a core treatment framework within the Social Thinking Methodology, is a visual template that helps users figure out the hidden social rules of a given situation based on what is happening and the people present. It also outlines a fundamental social concept we call the Social-Emotional Chain Reaction: how we act in a specific situation affects how others feel, how we make others feel affects how they treat us, and how we are treated affects how we feel about others and, ultimately, about ourselves.

We start by teaching individuals to observe others across different situations and identify the expected and unexpected behavior they notice and the impact this has on others’ thoughts, emotions, reactions, and responses. Over time, we gradually extend the learning to teach the full Social-Emotional Chain Reaction by having individuals observe their own behavior, recognize how it impacts others, and connect how others’ responses impact how they themselves think and feel. Social Behavior Mapping makes the complicated process of how we all affect one another’s thoughts, feelings, and actions visual and concrete!