Lessons and Assessments

Assessments and Skill Lessons for Students with Social Skill Needs

We cannot assume that children come to school knowing what is and is not socially appropriate. This part of the social skills website contains lessons students who need a great deal of help developing social skills.

Goal: Help students develop the skills they need to succeed socially and academically in school.

What you'll find in this section: Tools to assess the social skills seen as most important for students with high needs in this area and lessons for teaching those skills found to be lacking.

(Note: This section is being developed skill by skill. Skills linked are available but should be considered drafts.)

Self-Management (Chris and Claudette)

• Follow schedule or use visual aid appropriately
• Independently organize materials and time
• Identify sources of stress, anger and anxiety
• Engage in self-talk and/or relaxation strategies
• Manipulate preceding events and environment to reduce stress, anger and anxiety
• Self-deliver and/or recruit rewards

Friendship (Shasta)

• Join others' activities/invite others to play (basic) (intermediate)
• Follow rules and norms of social activities (basic/intermediate) (advanced)
• Show respect/tolerate others
• Read social cues to identify and express other's feelings (basic) (intermediate/advanced)
• Take another's perspective (intermediate) (advanced)
• Apply problem-solving skills to peer/social activities

Academic/Compliance Skills (Michelle H. and Melissa R.)

• Follow directions (verbal and/or written)
• Attend to group instruction and follow group activities and routines (pre-basic) (basic) (intermediate) (advanced)
• Follow class and school rules
• Appropriately request help (basic) (intermediate)
• Work independently/stay on task (pre-basic) (basic) (intermediate)
• Complete work accurately "Do your best"

Problem Solving Skills (Melissa M. and Leila B.)

• Identify cause and effect relationships (pre-basic)
• Identify problems as they arise
• Identify the severity and impact of a problem
• Identify a range of possible solutions
• Choose and implement a solution
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a solution

Social Communication (Janet G., Valda F., Mary O.)

• Identify feelings in self and others (basic) (intermediate) (advanced)
• Use a variety of nonverbal and verbal strategies to communicate with others
  • Understanding and using appropriate body proximity (all levels)
  • Using appropriate tone of voice (all levels)
  • Understanding gestures (basic)
  • Understanding head nods (basic)
• Initiate and respond to communication with others for social interaction (basic) (intermediate) (advanced)
• Repair failed communication attempts with alternative strategy (basic) (intermediate) (advanced)
• Ask and answer a variety of scripted social questions on-topic
• Maintain conversation/social exchanges about a topic of interest to others
• Engage in sustained and spontaneous conversation