Understanding Unique Social Communication Characteristics and Social Learning Systems

Key Goals

• Enhance assessment of social communication differences.
• Develop effective social supports without relying on diagnosis.
• Focus on individuals' social learning differences, strengths, challenges, and mental health factors.

Social Learning System Complexity

• Social communication is a complex, emotional process.
• Important factors include:
  • Contextual understanding
  • Non-verbal cues
  • Personal and others' thoughts and feelings
• Social communication evolves with age.

Social Thinking vs. Social Skills

• Social Thinking: Originated by Michelle Garcia Winner.
  • Focus on social cognition, metacognition, and emotional processing.
  • Aims for a deeper understanding beyond memorized social skills.

Social World Understanding

• Based on dynamic models combining theory and practice.
• Social Thinking-Social Competency Model (ST-SCM):
  • Social Attention: Observing environment and interactions.
  • Social Interpretation: Assigning meaning and considering thoughts and feelings.
  • Social Problem Solving: Evaluating dilemmas and deciding on responses.
  • Social Response: Acting or withholding actions based on social goals.

Different Social Learning Systems

• Emerged to tailor teaching and support tools effectively.
• Recognizes diversity among autistic and neurotypical learners.
• Social Communicator Types:
  • Social Communicator (SC)
  • Nuanced Social Communicator (NSC)
  • Emerging Social Communicator (ESC)
  • Pre-Emerging Social Communicator (PESC)
  • Self-Protective Social Communicator (SP-SC)

Multidimensional Characteristics

• Include understanding minds, emotional coping, problem solving, peer interaction, etc.
• Neurological diversity influences learning systems.

Learning Systems Descriptions

• Social Communicator (SC): Intuitive social milestones, flexible, prone to social mistakes.
• Nuanced Social Communicator (NSC): Impacted by anxiety or executive function issues.
  • NSC-A: Socially anxious
  • NSC-EF: Executive function/attention mediated
• Emerging Social Communicator (ESC): Awkwardly engaged, needs basic social lessons.
• Pre-Emerging Social Communicator (PESC): Requires significant structured support.
• Self-Protective Social Communicator (SP-SC): Resistant, needs inside-out teaching.

Final Thoughts

• Social communication involves emotional processing and academic integration.
• Support requires understanding of complex, co-occurring challenges.
• Goal: Progress towards individuals' social goals.

Resources/References

• Includes works by American Psychiatric Association, Crooke, Winner, and various educational models.