teaching social skills using discrete trial teaching (PDF)

TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS USING DISCRETE TRIAL TEACHING John McEachin, Ph.D Autism Partnership Video: Imitation in 11 week old NT IT ALL STARTS IT ALL STARTS AT A VERY YOUNG AGE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE THE COURSE OF TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT • There Is A Natural Feedback Loop That Shapes A Child’s Behavior – My actions impact the world – Things that happen in the world impact me in ways that are desirable or undesirable EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL SKILLS IN TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT • Typically Developing Children Will Learn To Refine Their Behaviors Based On Differential Social Outcomes. – Approval, Interest, Attention And Shared Enjoyment With Others Influence • What behaviors are likely to be repeated • Which behaviors are likely to diminish • Social Interest Is The Fuel EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL SKILLS IN TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT • Many Aspects Of Typical Social Behavior Are Shaped By The Natural Environment – e.g., Checking In: If you don’t pay attention to what others are doing you might miss out. – if you don't share . . . – if you are mean to people . . . • Formal Teaching Is Not Necessary WHY SOCIAL SKILLS DEFICITS IN AUTISM? • This Natural Behavior Shaping Process Is Not Impacting Children With Autism • Children With Autism Do Not Seem To Learn From Natural Contingencies: – Could Be A Motivational Issue: What They Find Reinforcing Is Different – Might Also Have To Do With How They Learn And Process Information – Or Simply What They Are Paying Attention To  SO WHAT CAN WE DO? SPECIALIZED APPROACH TO TEACHING: DTT • DTT Is A Way Of Strengthening The Signal • Focuses On One Small Aspect Of Behavior At A Time • Carefully Timed And Sequenced Events To Make The Right Connections • Putting Essential Information In The Foreground • Repeated Practice Of Skills To Deeply Etch The Circuit DISCRETE TRIAL TEACHING (DTT) • Timing Is Critical In DTT • It's Not Sufficient To Know How To Do Something; It Only Counts If You Do It At The Right Time – Saying hi – Clapping your hands • Discrete Trial Components – Instruction – Response – Feedback Video: Do That with play materials DISCRETE TRIAL TEACHING: DO THAT DISCRETE TRIAL TEACHING (DTT) • Clinical Outcomes And Research Studies Show Children with ASD Do Learn If Information Is Presented In A Systematic Fashion And They Have Repeated Opportunity To Practice The Skill – Lovaas, (1987); McEachin et al. (1993); Leaf et al. (2011). • Not Just Repetition But Closely Spaced Practice. – One Trial Per Day In A Classroom; Batting Cage DTT IS EVERYWHERE • It’s A Much More Natural Process Than Many People Recognize • Many People Use DTT Without Even Knowing Learning Theory • They Are Just Naturally Good Teachers Video: Borat  DTT IS EVERYWHERE • It’s So Fundamental Even A Child Can Do It USING DTT TO TEACH CHILDREN WITH ASD • DTT Exists On A Continuum Of Structured Vs. Naturalistic – Natural reinforcer vs. extrinsic and/or arbitrary – Natural cues vs. instruction – Naturally occurring opportunity vs. contrived opportunity – Formal vs. informal – Simple response vs. complex response • Often Used To Teach Language, Cognitive And Self- Help Skills • Can (And Should) Also Be Used To Teach Social Skills. TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS • Social Skills Range In Complexity And Progress Developmentally • We Target Easier Skills First. • We Recognize That Developmental Age Is Associated With Likelihood Of Success TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS Beginning Level Skills • Do that • Responding to your name • Follow a friend • Initiate greeting • Taking your turn in a game • Joint attention (give something to someone) Advanced Level Skills • Don't bore your friends • People don't always mean what they say • Persuasion • Giving and accepting compliments • Winning and losing gracefully • Keeping secrets Video: Follow a Friend Video: Joint Attention  DISCRIMINATION TRAINING: COOL VS. NOT COOL • Why: Important To Establish Exactly What Behavior We Are Talking About – Feedback, Praise And Consequences Only Make Sense If Student Actually Understands What Is The Offending Behavior. • Allows For A Bit Of Brainwashing To Occur. • What: Useful For Promoting A Wide Range Of Social Behaviors • Personal Space • Over The Top • Racing to be first in line • Being Bossy • Walking Cool • Grabbing Toys Video: Kicking Discrimination DISCRIMINATION TRAINING: COOL VS. NOT COOL COOL vs. NOT COOL: HOW? • Start By Observing Other Actors • Student Gets To Be The Judge • Start With Easy To Discriminate Categories • Steps Can Include Matching, Receptive Labeling, Receptive Performance, And Expressive Labeling • Modes Of Responding Can Include – Verbal – Written Word Or Symbol On A Card – Gesture COOL vs. NOT COOL COOL vs. NOT COOL Hints: • Some Students May Need Very Concrete Behaviors In Order To Understand The Process Of The Role Play, E.G. Is “John Standing Or Sitting?” • Ease Your Way Into Behaviors That May Embarrass The Student • Allow Student To Demonstrate The Correct Version Of The Skill IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL INTEREST • Impaired Social Connectedness Is A Hallmark Of Autism • Low Social Interest = • Important Natural source of reinforcement not operating = • Important learning opportunities are missed  MAKING SOCIAL INTERACTION MAKING SOCIAL INTERACTION REINFORCING REINFORCING • Pair neutral with positive – External reinforcement paired with social activity (noncontingent) – Tangible reinforcer comes from peer (noncontingent) – Experience fun together • Operant: – Peer necessary to carry out desired activity – Play is more fun with 2 or more people Video: Tunnel BUILDING REINFORCEMENT: SHARED ENJOYMENT SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES High affect activities • Punch each other with Hulk hands • Tug of war • Couch jumping: Jumping off a couch together onto pillows...saying ready, set, go to the peers • Snickers and Hoots Video: Snickers and Hoots BUILDING REINFORCEMENT: SHARED ENJOYMENT SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES High affect activities • Water balloon toss • Water guns • Nerf guns • Stomp rocket • Pillow Fight SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Cooperation • Building something that requires 2 people – e.g. build a fort together with a blanket  VIDEO: Fort VIDEO: Fort BUILDING REINFORCEMENT: SHARED ENJOYMENT SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Cooperation • Building something that requires 2 people – e.g. build a fort together with a blanket • Bucket line like for a fire (passing items in a timed race) • Seesaw • Jump rope • Zoom Ball Video: Zoom BUILDING SOCIAL INTEREST: COOPERATION SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Cooperation • Sitting back to back and having to get to a standing position • Jumping together on trampoline to get maximum height • Having to complete a task, but with a "disability" (ie. blind folded, no hand/feet, etc.) SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Music: • Rolling ball back and forth with music, when music stops, tickle whoever has the ball • Freeze dance: when music stops, hold hands with a friend • Ring around the rosie SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Turn taking: • Blanket drag: peer drags student on a blanket and take turns • Push each other in wagon • Hide and Seek • Hands-to-hands game (Snickers and hoots)  SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Language based: • Guess what friend is holding (under a blanket) • Charades: guess what friend is pretending to be • Drawing w/o looking (one person draws, one dictates picture that must be made) • Manding: “The Robot game”- tell a friend exactly what to do and have them do funny stuff (knock over blocks, give you a snack, etc) SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Language based: • “What am I?" Put an index card with a noun on it tagged on each players back, the partner must (with words) give clues as to what they are. • One person is blindfolded and the other has to tell them how to get through an obstacle course. • The HOT & COLD game • ACTOR/DIRECTOR (aka SIMON SAYS) SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Pretend: • Dress up – scare/surprise friend in the other room – take on characters in a story – take pictures of each other and make a photo album or something • Wrap up your friend in toilet paper like a mummy SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Pretend: • Building a “FORT” together out of boxes, etc. Be creative! One child can direct the other where to place items. Kids can then run from adults and hide in the fort. • ICE CREAM SHOP – different flavors and toppings. One has to request what they want from the other. • Talking on WALKIE-TALKIES to each other – older kids can pretend be spies. SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Pretend: • “Newscaster" (Two people in front of a TV screen, one can see it the other cannot, the one that can see it has to describe, to the partner where they are). • ROLE PLAYING GAMES such as Cops & Robbers, PIRATES, Cowboys & Indians – or for older kids, pretend to be superheroes from Star Wars, Power rangers, etc and act out basic storylines. SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Art/ Cooking • Silly art: put stickers on friend’s body • Halloween makeup on a friend’s face/ body • Drawing funny faces on friend with "clown crayons" • Pudding Toss: Put ingredients for sugar free instant pudding in a Ziploc bag. Toss the bags back and forth to mix. and then share the pudding you made. No refrigeration needed. • Style each other's hair  SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES SOCIALLY ENGAGING ACTIVITIES Art/ Cooking • Cooking something together, where one person has to get materials from the other person • Put nail polish on each other or make up (One can hold the mirror while the other applies make-up or if no mirror then the other peer puts the make-up on. • Blocks: One person getting to look at some kind of pre- built structure and then coming back and having to tell the next person about it and having a time limit to get it built together • Body Drawing: Laying down on paper and drawing around the body