Strategies teachers can use

To teach social communication:

1. Social communication will need to be directly taught. It's best to do in small groups but some students may benefit from 1:1 instruction so you can draw their attention to specific features. These skills need to be constantly reinforced – in the classroom, in the playground, talking to friends, talking to teachers. It's no good just reinforcing during the lesson as it wont carry over.

 

1. It's important to not just ‘tell' students answers but rather to ask them to think about ‘why' that is the answer. This way they aren't just rote learning. If they can identify ‘why' this demonstrates comprehension and increases the chance for the skill to be carried over.

 

1. It's important to focus on HOW the student says things and not just WHAT they are saying.

       For example: if a student who usually yells and doesn't wait, actually wait for their turn and uses an        appropriate volume but also happens to use a swear word when they speak – praise the fact that   

       they used a soft voice and waited rather than focusing on the negative (the swearing).

 

Specific Ideas for how teachers can teach:

Interpreting body language:

i. Find a few different Mr Bean clips (can be found on You Tube).

ii. You will need to start by teaching the way the body can change to depict different emotions i.e. facial versus arms versus stance etc. Use photos with labels to do this.

iii. Get the students to watch the clip, pausing as the posture or facial expression changes. Ask the students to identify how it's changed and what this means.

iv. Next ask how can they tell that the situation/mood has changed?

 

Understanding non-verbal cues:

A good video clip to use is called "The importance of Non-verbal Cues as told by "Friends" - You Tube

(Non-Verbal Communication

 

1. Start by reminding students about the types of things we look for when helping us decide the emotion or meaning that someone is trying to convey when they speak to us.

 

2. There are questions at the start of each clip. Asked students to pay attention to help them decide what the answer is. Pause it at the end of each clip and discuss answers. If students are being silly with their responses or telling you they would do things like 'flick their finger' if someone did that with them, run with this.

a) Get them to talk about how they see this as helping/not-helping the situation.

b) Ask them to explain why this was their chosen reaction/response.

c) discuss the possible consequences of their chosen reaction to someone's body language/tone of voice. 

You may need to provide a selection of written words for each question for those who have difficulty generating the vocabulary themselves.

d) Ask them to show you their 'looks' e.g. if they are annoyed at someone. Comment on or get others in the group to comment on what they see. If you know what they look like and they say they don't demonstrate the look/tone/words they use for them. More often than not they will correct you!