Interactive computer programs using real-life video to teach social skills to children and adolescents

Issue #1, February 2006

Social Skill Boosters

Valentine's Day can be one of the most fun days of the year, but for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it can also be stressful and overwhelming. Here are a few tips for making this V-day the best ever, and for using it to improve your child's social skills in the process!

• Talk to your child's teacher about helping to organize the class Valentine's Day party. Divide the children into small groups and assign one of the more outgoing kids in the class to help your child make valentines for his family.

• The various sounds and smells associated with classroom parties can make it difficult for children with sensory integration dysfunction to enjoy them. Before the party, talk with your child about what she'll experience there, and arrange for her to take a break outside about halfway through the event.

• When your child brings home valentines from the other students, have her show you the cards and explain what she thinks and how she feels about each person, and why.

• Valentine's Day is full of fun expressions that involve plays on words. Discuss the meaning of abstract valentine words like "adore," "admire," "cutie pie," and "long for" with your child. Share jokes that encourage him to think about the multiple meanings behind certain words – and why the jokes are funny. For example:

Knock Knock.
Who's There?
Frank.
Frank Who?
"Frank" you for being such a good friend!

What did the elephant say to his valentine?
I like you a "ton!"

What did one lollipop say to another?
I am "sweet" on you!

My Story: Real People Living with Social Challenges

"My son, Jason, was no social butterfly. He disliked interacting with people and couldn't carry on a simple, three-turn conversation. You'd try to engage him, and he'd just look off in the distance, like he was living in some parallel universe. Since starting social skills therapy, Jason has gotten much better at reading social cues and responding to social overtures. He's made a few friends and has gotten involved with sports. His favorite, martial arts, taught him lessons like how to respect others, and how to wait your turn. I'm happy to say that in many ways, my son is turning into your typical teenager."
Robert Saachi, Virginia

Questions from the Clinic

Question: What is social skills training?
Answer: Unlike other kids their age, children with special needs often don't learn basic social skills, such as sharing enjoyment, communicating one-on-one, and maintaining eye contact, through general life experience and observation. They're interested in making friends, but they just don't know how, and unfortunately, they may feel inadequate, anxious, and depressed as a result.

Social skills training uses techniques like role playing and modeling to actively teach children the skills they need to be successful and cope with challenging situations in the social environment. Research has demonstrated that it can be very effective in helping children with special needs succeed in their personal and academic lives.

Research Corner

Utah researchers confirm chromosome may harbor autism gene
Using technology that allows DNA from thousands of genes to be collected and surveyed on a 3 x 1½-inch chip, University of Utah medical researchers have confirmed that a region on a single chromosome probably harbors a gene that causes autism. The researchers made the finding by tracing variations in the DNA of an extended Utah family that has a high occurrence of the disorder and whose members are descended from one couple. Published in Human Heredity online, the study is part of the Utah Autism Research Project and confirms Finnish studies of families that linked autism to the same region on chromosome 3 (University of Utah Health Sciences Center).

Idea of the Month

V-day Madlibs: For your child's class Valentine's Day party, have each child collect a bunch of conversation hearts. Then have the kids each write out a heartfelt sentence on a piece of colored paper, such as "I love you Mom and Dad," but leaving out a word or two that a conversation heart could fill in. Then have them glue that heart to the paper in place of the words!