Session 2 - Life Skills and Social Thinking

Burlington Public Schools Early Childhood Development Series
www.beccinformationseries.blogspot.com

Behavior Supports in BPS - All Schools
Positive behavior classwide systems
a. Explicit instruction of routines and rules
b. Strategies to promote engagement
c. Explicit instruction of Life Skills/social skills
d. Motivational system
e. Behavior management

Preschool Life Skills Curriculum
● A curriculum with an approach to teaching critical social skills to early learners.
● Skills have been proven to prevent problem behavior and often replace problem behavior with a functional social skill.
● Skills are divided into 4 groups which make up a total of 13 skills all in a specific sequential order.

What does the Research Show?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885412/pdf/jaba-40-02-277.pdf
● The selected skills are similar to the skills taught once kids demonstrate problem behavior
● Teachers are able to implement the program with fidelity
● Problem behavior was reduced by 70% and there was a 400% increase in observed critical skills

Unit 1 Skills: Instruction Following
● Responding appropriately to name
● Complying with simple instruction
● Complying with multi-step instruction ● Requesting assistance
● Requesting attention

Unit 2: Functional Communication
● Framed requesting to adults (when item is not available)
● Framed requesting to peers (when item is being used)

Unit 3: Tolerance for Delay
● Tolerating delay imposed by adults
● Tolerating delays imposed by peers
Unit 4: Friendship Skills
● Saying “Thank you”
● Acknowledging/complimenting others ● Offering/Sharing
● Comforting others in distress

How Skills are Taught
● Instruction ● Modeling ● Practice
● Feeback

How we modify
If a student isn’t successful with the classwide teaching model...
● Skills are taught with greater frequency (more practice opportunities)
● Skills may be taught at a different pace
● Skills may be taught in isolation first

Social Thinking Curriculum The Incredible Flexible You
● Thinking Thoughts and Feeling Feelings ● Thinking with Your Eyes
● The Group Plan
● Body in the Group
● Whole Body Listening