Improving Social Skills and Social Thinking the Classroom and Small Groups

Description

PEDC 9083 Improving Social Skills and Social Thinking the Classroom and Small Groups in the Age of the Common Core and Next Generation Standards
3 Graduate Level or In-service Credits/ 45 hours Instructor: Alissa Rosenberg February 1-28, October 1-30
University of the Pacific

Mainstream classrooms today are seeing an influx of students with social cognitive difficulties such as Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and ADHD. These students may score very high on traditional IQ tests, however demonstrate tremendous difficulties making friends and fitting in. How can we help these kids maneuver through the social world? This class will focus on defining what social skills are, what a social cognitive disorder is and whom it affects. It will then delve into why these students have such a difficult time understanding the social cues and norms of our society and strategies that can be applied within the mainstream classroom, special education classrooms and small group sessions to help teach social thinking and related social skills. This class is appropriate for all educators’ grades k-12, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists and Social Workers.