In the second of this two-part series, attendees will build on information learned in Part 1 to explore the executive functions required as part of developing social competencies. Attendees will learn practical use of two more Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Assessment tasks with the aid of case study videos to guide exploration into how different social learners process and respond to socially based information. We discuss the impact of these responses on one’s ability to engage with increasingly sophisticated social information and organizational skills, experienced not only through maturing social relationships, but also within the classroom curriculum and skills for job performance.

Since the social learning process is developmental in nature, attendees will explore how to adjust social emotional expectations and tasks for children who function at different developmental ages. We review an observation-based scale to help parents and professionals better understand how children ages 4–7 engage in aspects of interactive play with their peers. We also discuss the compelling needs of teens, young adults, and mature adults who have often become frustrated or overwhelmed by their social skill challenges and are less than pleased to be assessed in this area of their functioning.

The following are some of the many concepts covered during this very interesting and important course:

• Use of pictures and/or YouTube commercials and stories to assess how social learners process and respond to story-based social information
• How sequencing pictures can tell us a lot about how a social learner functions in the real world of the classroom, home, and community
• How to explain the use of informal dynamic assessment tasks within report writing
• The purpose of the Group Collaboration, Play and Problem Solving Scale (GPS) assessment tool when seeking to better understand treatment needs of 4 to 7- year-olds
• Tips and more tools for use when assessing individuals of different developmental ages:
  • 4 to 7-year-olds
  • 8 to10-year-olds
  • Tweens, teens, and young adults
  • Mature adults

Who Should Attend

The Social Thinking Methodology is used by a wide variety of professionals; including speech-language pathologists, special and general education teachers, social workers, counselors, clinical and school psychologists, occupational therapists, behavior specialists, and school administrators to name a few. It’s also used by family members and caregivers across settings.

This two-part series focuses on practical strategies to explore ways in which we can assess social competencies, also known as “soft skills,” that are foundational to building an array of social relationships, problem solving, and teamwork. The content covered within these two courses is an expanded version of what has been presented previously in our live face-to-face conference on implementing the Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Assessment (ST–IDA) tasks to explore a range of social competencies often lagging in development in persons with social emotional learning challenges across a range of diagnoses (e.g., autism spectrum levels 1 & 2, social communication disorder, ADHD, twice exceptional, those born to toxic stressors, language learning disorders, head injuries, etc.). This fascinating series uses client/student/patient videos to guide learning about assessment tasks and how different individuals may respond. This information is helpful to all interventionists working and living with individuals with social emotional learning challenges because it shows how to get inside their minds to better understand their learning strengths and challenges. Most of the information covered in this two-part series is described in Michelle Garcia Winner's seminal book, Thinking About YOU Thinking About ME, 2nd Edition.

Part 1: Assessing Social Competencies with Practical Assessment Tools and Tasks explores the social mind and how it functions with neurotypically developing people within the complex social world to better understand goals of assessment. Examine trends in how different types of social emotional learner’s process and respond to socially based information and processes for engaging students in Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Assessment (ST–IDA) tasks to guide understanding of individuals’ social emotional learning strengths and weaknesses.

Part 2: Exploring Socially Based Executive Functions & Tips for Assessing Different Developmental Ages examines how executive functions are necessary for the development of social competencies. Using video case examples, two more fascinating and increasingly complex Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Assessment tasks are reviewed to provide compelling additional information. Tips and other assessment tools are provided for assessing individuals of different developmental ages.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe the purpose of the Group Collaboration, Play and Problem Solving Scale (GPS).
2. Explain three different types of executive functions being explored through the Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Assessment Picture Sequence Task.
3. Describe why assessment of tweens and teens includes having them fill out a chart describing their strengths and weaknesses.

Agenda

• 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • What’s executive functioning got to do with assessment of social competencies?
    • Explore Social Thinking® Informal Dynamic Tasks:
    • Social Scenario Video and Pictures
    • Sequencing Picture Sequence Cards
    • Observing social learners’ peers in different social structures
    • How to talk about assessment in report writing
    • Understanding the long-term view of social learning challenges
• 10-minute Break
• 2 hour and 10 minutes
  • Finish up anything not covered in the agenda above
  • Explore assessment needs, tips, and other tasks for social learners across different developmental ages:
    • 4-7
    • 8-10
    • Tweens and teens
    • Living as a mature adult
  • Previously Recorded Q & A Session

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