Discussed in this Episode:

 Document specific social triggers for individual students – “What does a social meltdown look like? What is the triggers for this child? Is the trigger winning and losing? Is the trigger not having a partner?”

 Create a visual social knowledge scrapbook – “This is why I like what Anna Tullemans says with a social script explaining other people’s perspective.” Great social scripts in the Developing Social skills book available here

 Implement “process first, collaborate second” – “Maybe we should reverse it in the classroom. Maybe we should give children all a few minutes to think about what they’re gonna contribute to the group and collaborate and then talk.”

 Establish three peer groups for each child – “Dr. Michael Carr-Greg says children need three peer groups. Is could be activities outside school?

   Practice playing games that specifically teach winning and losing with grace – “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, what are the social scripts they need?” Great social scripts in the Developing Social skills book available here

Teach explicit phrases for inclusive rejections—”No, I’m not going to be your partner now, but how about we be partners in maths?”

 Incorporate “When to tell” vs. “Not to tell” guidelines – teach children when to tell the teacher, as often they “dob” and then child will not play with them.

 Observe for the “veneer of coping” – “Are they a child who holds it together at school, but then has the meltdown when they get home?

 Teach about the “friendship funnel” with students – “In the social skills course, I talk about the friendship funnel. So as children get older and as we all get older, it’s harder to make some connections.”  Course information here

 Track social progress alongside academic progress – We don’t measure a child’s social skills. But guess what? Social connection, social skills actually improve learning outcomes.” If you want to support children social skills my course is full of tips and information Course information here

Join me in discussing social meltdowns and how we can help neurodiverse children with social meltdowns.

This podcast provides a framework for understanding that many behavioural challenges in the classroom stem from social skills. It emphasises that investing time in teaching these skills proactively ultimately saves more time than constantly addressing the meltdowns and conflicts that result from underdeveloped social knowledge.