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Rubrics fit well into explicit and sequential instruction in social skills. (Hey! Just as in phonics instruction!) Using a case study approach, let me introduce you to Jonathan. He was identified as having PDD in preschool. He’s a bright kid who looks a lot like a miniature “professor.” Jonathan is very rule-oriented and eager to please. He is easily distracted by sounds and movement around him and is on medication for a diagnosed attention disorder. He appears to be daydreaming much of the time.
When I first observed Jonathan in his classroom, he was sitting quietly but not accomplishing much. His teacher confirmed that he did very little unless he was seated by her or the assistant. It was fairly easy to change that behavior by setting specific goals for task completion and monitoring/rewarding his progress.
I also observed Jonathan in the cafeteria and at recess. That particular cafeteria was in a perpetual state of bedlam, but I did notice that other kids managed to talk (or yell), whereas Jonathan seemed overwhelmed by the noise and activity levels. At recess, Jonathan was glued to the teacher assistant, who was quite impressed by his wide range of knowledge on certain topics. However, he would only talk about his particular interests and never responded to questions on other topics.
Jonathan began a course of social skills instruction individually because of scheduling issues. It is possible to teach social skills to one student at a time, but it’s not ideal. I prefer a group of6 or8 (even numbers, please!), but you take what you can get. After a couple of sessions to prepare him for a small group “lunch bunch” with some typically developing peers, we were ready to launch. His targeted skills were eye contact and willingness to respond to topics other than his primary interests.
