Teaching Social Skills

Learning Social Skills : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 1 Learning Social Skills Corrective Teaching

What is the Teaching Interaction? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 2 What is the Teaching Interaction? A process of replacing inappropriate behavior with an appropriate skill.

What are some of the challenges to using the Teaching Interaction? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 3 What are some of the challenges to using the Teaching Interaction? Behavior Staff stress and frustration Recurring behavior with no apparent change “Un-teachable youths” Chaos in the environment Inconsistent tolerances among staff Lack of staff’s training and practice Immediate gratification

What’s the big picture? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 4 What’s the big picture? “Because children who come to a shelter are directly taught new ways of behaving, each youngster can more successfully and comfortably adapt to societal norms and get his or her needs met in socially acceptable ways.”

What’s in it for me? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 5 What’s in it for me? Provides a specific, effective, positive way to deal with problem behaviors. Emphasizes positive. Mitigates negative perception of the point system as punitive. See progress in each child. Increased sense of accomplishment and worth of work.

Teaching Interaction Components : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 6 Teaching Interaction Components Initial praise/Empathy Description/Demonstration of inappropriate behavior Consequences Reminders Description/Demonstration of appropriate behavior or skill Earn back Rationale Request for acknowledgment Practice cue Practice feedback Praise Description of behavior Positive correction General praise/Encouragement

Corrective Teaching : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 7 Corrective Teaching Teaches a positive alternative behavior to replace a negative one. Decreases negative reaction to negative behavior. Provides a positive learning environment. Provides a corrective consequence and encouragement to engage in positive behavior.

1. Initial Praise or Empathy : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 8 1. Initial Praise or Empathy Starts the teaching interaction on a positive note. Lowers the defenses of the resident. Should be behaviorally specific, relevant, and descriptive. Increases sincerity of the interaction. Makes the interaction more genuine and natural.

What happens without praise or empathy? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 9 What happens without praise or empathy? “When you do not consistently use this component, youth may come to view you as a punishing stimulus--someone who is quick to criticize and slow to recognize accomplishments.”

Benefits of Effective Praise : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 10 Benefits of Effective Praise Powerful teaching tool Increases likelihood of appropriate behavior in the future Occurrence of inappropriate behavior decreases Helps build positive relationships Enhances resident’s self-concept Lowers the defenses of the child. Strengthen and reinforce appropriate behavior Build relationships Acknowledge feelings Helps the child become more receptive and open to the entire teaching process

An Effective Praise Statement : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 11 An Effective Praise Statement Begins with a positive, enthusiastic opener. Specifically describes/demonstrates positive behavior--no zaps, zingers, or buts. Explains a reason for the importance of the behavior. Signals/provides for a reward. Requests acknowledgement from the resident.

2. Description/Demonstration of Inappropriate Behavior : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 12 2. Description/Demonstration of Inappropriate Behavior Labeling the skill that is being taught Specifically describing the youth’s inappropriate verbal and nonverbal behavior

Causes of Behavior : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 13 Causes of Behavior Inherited factors Biological effects Reinforcement history Environmental effects Probability of reinforcement Immediate environmental effects

Recall: Recognizing and Describing Behavior Helps Staff to … : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 14 Recall: Recognizing and Describing Behavior Helps Staff to … Recognize situations to praise Recognize situations to correct Recognize new behaviors to teach Communicate clear expectations Develop a positive relationship

Behavior is .. : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 15 Behavior is .. Body Movements Facial Expressions Verbal Responses

What does behavior mean? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 16 What does behavior mean? Behavior as metaphor Testing for safety, consistency, and boundaries Repetitive behavior doesn’t mean that the system isn’t working Sometimes, it tells us that the resident feels safe enough to act in such a way with us.

Remember your ABC’s : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 17 Remember your ABC’s Antecedents Behavior Consequences

Principles of Behavior:ABC Model : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 18 Principles of Behavior:ABC Model A - Antecedents What are the circumstances surrounding the behavior? B - Behavior What is the resident doing? C - Consequences What is the outcome of the behavior?

What kinds of things can be antecedents to negative behavior? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 19 What kinds of things can be antecedents to negative behavior?

Avoid Non-specific, Judgmental Expressions : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 20 Avoid Non-specific, Judgmental Expressions

Make Behaviorally Specific Descriptions : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 21 Make Behaviorally Specific Descriptions Avoid using judgmental expressions Word it so it can be visualized. Demonstrate voice tone Try not to mock or use sarcasm Use phrases like, “you said something like…”, or “just now when you …” Describe body language Describe absence of appropriate behaviors

Recall: Use Skill Labels When Teaching : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 22 Recall: Use Skill Labels When Teaching Curriculum skills help to conceptualize Teaching using the skill label, not the task or behavior Choose the correct skill Group specific behaviors to determine skill Get at the root behavior

3. Consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 23 3. Consequences Establishes a point fine, or “response cost” which influences access to the motivation system Provides another opportunity to relabel the skill

Behavior isinfluenced byits consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 24 Behavior isinfluenced byits consequences What follows a behavior Influences its recurrence.

Consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 25 Consequences Consequences are The events in the environment (results or outcomes) Following a behavior.

Consequences Effect Behavior : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 26 Consequences Effect Behavior Behavior can be positively changed to occur with more frequency or with less intensity. Behavior can be decreased to occur less often or with less intensity. New behavior can be learned and old behaviors improved. Behavior can be changed so that it occurs at a different time or place.

Consequences are NOT punitive : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 27 Consequences are NOT punitive Consequences teach. If you are afraid, or making excuses not to use consequences, you have left the teaching model and you view points as punishing. You are not doing the resident any favors by not pointing them. What are you teaching them?

Consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 28 Consequences Natural consequences are the typical outcomes of a behavior without any intentional human intervention. Example: Getting pink eye may be the natural consequence of borrowing and using someone’s eye makeup. Applied consequences are outcomes that are deliberately arranged. Examples: Points Time with adults Allowance Watching television

What would the natural consequence be …? : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 29 What would the natural consequence be …?

Negative Consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 30 Negative Consequences Technique for decreasing undesirable behavior Act of taking away reward for misbehavior Resident is fined by reminder points and/or loss of privileges Resident experiences the natural consequences

Principles for Use of Negative Consequences : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 31 Principles for Use of Negative Consequences Size Immediacy Contingency Deprivation

Factors to Consider when Deciding What the Negative Consequence Should Be : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 32 Factors to Consider when Deciding What the Negative Consequence Should Be Frequency Duration Intensity Severity Situational Circumstances

When Using Negative Consequences, Remember to … : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 33 When Using Negative Consequences, Remember to … Use consequences sparingly. Discuss any consequences with the resident prior to using them. Combine negative consequences with other procedures such as reinforcement to motivate resident Whenever possible, make consequences relate to the problem behavior.

Extinction : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 34 Extinction “Planned” Ignoring Or Removal of Social Reinforcement

Language is important…Compare and contrast : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 35 Language is important…Compare and contrast I’m giving you 2,000 negative points. You need to write in 2,000 negative points. You’ve just earned 2,000 reminder points. Please take off 2,000 reminder points for…

4. Description/Demonstration of Appropriate Behavior : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 36 4. Description/Demonstration of Appropriate Behavior Gives youth an alternative behavior. Again provides an opportunity to label the skill. Modeling and demonstrating can be helpful. Help promote generalization by explaining relevant antecedent conditions.

Language is important… : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 37 Language is important… You need to … You have to … You must … I want you to … It will help you to … Next time, try to … You should think about … If you do …, you will more likely …

5. Rationale : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 38 5. Rationale It’s the why of the what. Explains the natural benefits or the harms or natural consequences of engaging in a behavior. Explains the connection between behavior and a consequence or outcome. Should emphasize Benefit to youth Negative outcomes Concern for others

Rationales … : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 39 Rationales … Should teach.. Benefits to youth Negative outcomes Concern for others Natural consequences Produce the benefits… Being viewed as more concerned and fair Teaching values and morals Developing independent decision making Promoting compliance

Components of a Rationale : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 40 Components of a Rationale Use specific natural consequences (both positive and negative) Make it personal and relevant Focus on the main behavior and alternative behavior Be BRIEF (don’t lecture) Make it convincing and believable Emphasize short-term consequences and rewards Avoid non-rationales (e.g., motivation systems) Relate to teaching concern for others

When to Use Rationales : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 41 When to Use Rationales When teaching a new skill When reinforcing appropriate behavior Attending to inappropriate behavior During counseling During resident council, morning meetings, and groups ?

Putting the Pieces Together : Antrim Girls Shelter Professional Development 42 Putting the Pieces Together