These are really good sites NorwayMom. The piece about social thinking in the first link described my oldest perfectly. The work sheet about what to think about before you start a conversation is also great.
Michelle Garcia Winner, founder of the Center for Social Thinking in San Jose, uses a rubber chicken in her social skills programs!!! She says:
"Many persons with social cognitive deficits are perfectionists thinking that they must do everything perfectly. However, to be a social thinker is to realize that it is OK to make mistakes. NO PERSON has ever succeeded in not blowing it socially multiple times in their life. At the clinic, the rubber chicken is placed on the therapy table for students to “bonk themselves on the head” (gently) when they make a social error."
This lady has me intrigued! She also makes the distinction between social skills vs. social thinking skills. Social skills are concrete things like saying please and thank you, shaking hands, etc. Social thinking skills are the tools we use to gauge others' interest, manage potentially embarrassing situations, understand what's funny, etc. etc.
Here's some more stuff from her website, in case you're interested:
Rubber chicken therapy:
http://www.socialthinking.com/rubberstory.asp
I LAUGH, an acronym for social thinking skills and the basis of social thinking therapy:
http://www.socialthinking.com/therapy.asp
Links to more articles:
http://www.socialthinking.com/about.asp
What to do/not to do in boring moments:
http://www.socialthinking.com/images/Image/Website_Content_I mages/BoringMoments.jpg
Worksheet, what to think about before you start a conversation:
As always...a new therapy with links courtesy of Norway Mom. Thank you!That is very intriguing. However, I'm scared to do anthing involving chickens!
When the boys were 4, my dad had this lovely conversation with the boys:
Dad: Ya know what?
Boys in unison: What?
Dad: Chicken butt!!
UGGGHHHHH! For almost 3 years now, any time the word "chicken" comes up in coversation, or one of them sees a chicken, we are back to "chicken butt." I tell them not to say it and they say "Pop said it." I try to explain that Pop shouldn't have said it. And so on.... My dad feels SO BAD for starting this and is horrified that they haven't let go of it 3 years later. I'm sure if dh and I had just ignored it in the beginning it would have maybe went away, but we didn't so now we're stuck with it. Oh well....
Her site is fantastic and as soon as I have some extra money, I'll be buying up all of her books. When we met with the Autism Resource Team lady last week, she really felt like this woman was the one on the right track with what our kids need as far as learning to be social thinkers. I have spent the last couple of days looking around her site and I even briefly considered a move to San Jose. If only wishing could make it so.Norway Mom I really like that site. I think I am going to use the worksheetsI'm sold. This lady, rather than doing social "training" seems to be getting into the heads of these children, which could make a world of difference.
As always..thanks NorwayMom. However, due to recent issues, chickens are a problem here as well....LOL