I have been looking for a simple open-and-go curriculum to work on social and emotional learning skills (SEL) for my children. I have bought a few different SEL curriculums over the years. The ones I tired before were not a good fit for my particular children, too complex to implement, or just took too much […]
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2019-2020 Elementary Level Homeschool Picks
It is time to plan curriculum for the new homeschool year. For the 2019-2020 school year, I’ll have a 4 year old ready for level K work, a 1st grader, a 3rd grader, and a 5th grader. This article provides an overview of my elementary level homeschool curriculum selections for the 2019-2020 school year. Language […]
Continue readingA Review of How to Talk with Friends: A Step-by-Step Social Skills Curriculum for Children with Autism
Although conversation skills generally develop naturally in neurotypical children, autistic children may need to be taught how to engage in conversations with the neurotypical world. How to Talk with Friends, by Janine Toole, is a step-by-step social skills curriculum that teaches conversation skills. Overview of “How to Talk with Friends: A step-by-step social skills curriculum” […]
Continue readingA Review of Autism & PDD Picture Stories and Language Activities for Social Skills
When I taught in a self-contained classroom for autistic children, one of the speech therapist introduced me to Matt and Molly stories. These are officially called, Autism & PDD Picture Stories & Language Activities by Patricia Koski. This article reviews the 5-pack set of language activities for social skills for children ages 3 to 8. […]
Continue readingA Shopkins Game Review
Playing games can be a motivating way to work on social skills. Most board games require turn-taking, following rules, and good sportsmanship (accepting both winning and losing gracefully). CLICK HERE to read about the procedure I use to help my children learn to tolerate losing. My husband bought this 4 Game Shopkins set last week. […]
Continue readingAutism Series: How to Teach Tolerance To Losing
One skill that may be difficult for an autistic child is how to handle losing a game. Autistic children tend to thrive in predictable situations. They love their routines and may become very distressed when a routine is disrupted. Playing games can be unpredictable. Although each game will have its own set of rules, different things […]
Continue readingAutism Series: How to Use Social Stories
Social stories are a teaching tool used to explain social situations to individuals with autism. Stories can be written for a specific child or for children in general. The story will include specific information about what occurs and why it occurs in a social situation. Relevant features including an explanation of perspective will also be […]
Continue readingResearch Base for Using Video Models with Autistic Individuals
Video modeling is an instructional technique where a video is used to demonstrate a particular skill or activity. Video modeling has been effectively used with individuals who have autism. The following list is a brief summary of skills researchers have taught individuals with autism using video models. Video Models can be effectively used to: increase conversational […]
Continue readingMisconceptions about Autism Social Skills
One of the key diagnostic criteria for autism includes deficits in social skills. Social skills are the set of unwritten rules we use to interact with other people using both our words and our bodies. Neuro-typical children acquire social skills through observation and interaction with other people in the home and community. Children with autism […]
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