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Making the Abstract Concrete: Teaching Social Competence to Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Many children on the autism spectrum don’t understand abstract concepts. They have trouble reading between the lines. If a person says, “I’m so angry I could spit,” they may wait and watch for the person to spit. Social competence requires an ability to think abstractly.

If the child has difficulty in this area, he or she may fail to understand facial expressions, have difficulty keeping emotions in check, have problems taking turns, interrupt others while they are speaking, prefer talking to adults rather than other kids, share information in inappropriate ways, talk too much about their favorite topic, or withdraw from conversations with peers entirely.

Similar to teaching many academic skills, teaching social competence involves abstract skills and concepts. Because kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s tend to be concrete and literal, the abstract nature of these interpersonal skills (e.g., kindness, reciprocity, friendships, thoughts, and feelings) makes them especially difficult to master.

A first crucial step is to define the abstract social skill or problem in clear and concrete terms (e.g., knowing when your friend is joking versus being mean). The behavior must be clearly put into action and the youngster taught to identify it and differentiate it from other behaviors (e.g., Is this a friend or not a friend? Is this a quiet or a loud voice? Was I being teased or not? Am I following directions or not?).

Examples of making the abstract concrete include:
  • “If-then” rules can be taught when the social behaviors involved are predictable and consistent (e.g., “If someone says ‘thank you,’ then you say ‘you're welcome’.”).
  • Kids on the autism spectrum who are learning eye contact may respond better to the more concrete “point your eyes” than to “make eye contact” or “look at me.” 
  • Personal space can be defined concretely as “an arm away” or “a ruler away” instead of “too close.”

Short menus of behavior options can be presented for particular social situations for these young people to choose among (e.g., three things you can do to deal with teasing).

Visually-based instruction is another great way to make the abstract concrete. Many kids with HFA and Asperger’s – even those who have considerable verbal skill – demonstrate a visual preference oand learn best with visually-cued instruction. Incorporating visual cues, prompts, and props to augment verbal instruction can make abstract social skills more tangible and easily understood.

Other visually-based instruction may include:
  • A large “Z” made of cardboard can be used to depict the back-and-forth flow of a conversation.
  • Examples of intermediate and finished products can be used to demonstrate steps in activities or projects. 
  • Kids on the spectrum can be taught to look at the eyes of others using a cardboard arrow. They can be instructed to hold the arrow on the side of their face next to their right eye, and point it at the eyes of the person to whom they are speaking. This aligns their face and eyes in the correct direction. Once this skill has been practiced using this concrete visual cue, use of the arrow can be faded out.
  • Pictures can be used to define concepts or clarify definitions.
  • Voice volume or affect intensity can be depicted visually in a thermometer-like format.
  • Written lists can be used to summarize discussion topics.

Such visual prompts can be faded out eventually, and the skill can be practiced in more natural contexts.

For more information on teaching social competence to kids on the autism spectrum, click on the link below:
 
 
 
More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:
 
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Meltdown Prevention: Parents’ Quick Reference Sheet

In the initial stage of a meltdown, kids (and teenagers) with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s exhibit specific behavior changes that may not seem to be related directly to a meltdown. 
 
The behaviors may seem minor (e.g., may clear their throats, lower their voices, tense their muscles, tap their foot, grimace, or otherwise indicate general discontent). They may also engage in behaviors that are more obvious (e.g., emotionally or physically withdrawing).

During the early stage of a meltdown, it is crucial that parents intervene without becoming part of a struggle. The following interventions can be effective in helping your youngster regain control with minimal adult support:

1.  Ask teachers to create a “home-base,” which is a place in the school where your child can “escape.” The home-base should be quiet with few visual or activity distractions, and activities should be selected carefully to ensure that they are calming rather than alerting. At home, the home-base may be the youngster's room or an isolated area in the house. Regardless of its location, it is important that the home-base is viewed as a positive environment. (Note: The home-base is not “timeout” or an escape from classroom tasks or chores.)

2.  Display a chart or visual schedule of expectations and events, which can provide security to kids on the spectrum who typically need predictability.

3.  Help your youngster to focus on something other than the task or activity that seems to be upsetting.

4.  Inform your child of schedule changes ahead of time, which can prevent anxiety and reduce the likelihood of a meltdown.

5.  Make use of a short diary that lists your child’s meltdown triggers, and what interventions seem to work (most of the time). In this way, you get to really know your child. This is crucial, because the wrong intervention can escalate - rather than deescalate - a behavior problem. Furthermore, although interventions in the early stage of a meltdown do not require extensive time, you must understand the events that precipitate the target behaviors so that you can be ready to intervene early and teach your child strategies to maintain behavior-control. 
 

Of course, you want to “intervene,” but you also want to teach your child to recognize her own frustration and have a means of handling it. You simply can’t be available all the time. There will be occasions when your child will need to use self-control strategies without parental or teacher support.

6.  Move near your youngster whenever he is beginning to “rumble” (i.e., gearing up for a meltdown). Often something as simple as standing next to your child is calming. This can easily be accomplished without interrupting an ongoing activity.

7.  Pay attention to cues from your child. When he begins to exhibit a “precursor behavior” (e.g., throat clearing, pacing), use a nonverbal signal to let him know that you are aware of the situation (e.g., an agreed-upon “secret” signal, such as tapping on a table top, may be used to alert the youngster that he is under stress). A “signal” may be followed by a stress -relief strategy (e.g., squeezing a stress ball).

8.  Remove your youngster (in a non-punitive fashion) from the environment in which she is experiencing difficulty. At school, the youngster may be sent on an errand. At home, she may be asked to retrieve an object for a you. During this time, the youngster has an opportunity to regain a sense of calm. When she returns, the problem will typically be diminished in magnitude - and you are on hand for support, if needed.

9.  Walk with your youngster without talking. Silence on your part is important, because a child on the autism spectrum who is beginning to “meltdown” will likely react emotionally to any adult statement, misinterpreting it or rephrasing it beyond recognition. On this walk, your child can say whatever she wishes without fear of discipline or reprimand. In the meantime, you should be calm, show as little reaction as possible, and never be confrontational.

10.  When your child is in the initial stage of a meltdown because of a difficult task - and you think that he can complete the task with your support - offer a brief acknowledgement that validates your child’s frustration and help him complete the task. For example, when working on a math problem, your youngster says, “This is too hard.” Knowing he can complete the problem, you can refocus his attention by saying, “Yes, the problem is difficult. Let's start with number one.”

* You may want to print this article and keep it with you, or post it on the fridge.


==> Parenting System That Stops Meltdowns Before They Start
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