Social Thinking

Social cognition plays a significant role in students’ academic performance, classroom behavior, and positive peer relationships. Competent communicators understand sharing a space with others requires constant observation of other people’s perspective, altering their own behavior to fit a social context, thinking on their feet, expressing thoughts relative to the topic at hand, and much more. However, for individuals with autism, the impaired social cognitive abilities presented by the disorder makes reading nonverbal cues in the environment and effective social interactions difficult. To become successful communicators and learn to think socially, individuals with autism require specific instruction and explanations behind social skills.

The Social Thinking curriculum, developed by Michelle Garcia Winner, SLP, teaches students strategies necessary for monitoring their own behaviors, taking another’s perspective, thinking flexibly, and understanding emotions. Emphasizing that students can only truly become more socially competent if they understand how the social world works and why specific skills are important in different context, this model breaks down abstract concepts into small concrete steps to help students become more efficient thinkers and understand the “why” behind what we do, “why” we apologize, “why” we look at someone’s eyes to listen, “why” we say what we say in social situations.

Social Thinking at The Autism Project

Programs for Individuals with autism

Trainings for Professionals

At The Autism Project, we incorporate Social Thinking into many of the programs we offer, including:

Social Thinking Academy

We feel it is important to teach our students to become more efficient social thinkers BEFORE we can ask them to produce an appropriate social behavior. Adapted from Michelle Garcia Winner and Stephanie Madrigal's work, The Autism Project’s Social Thinking Academy teaches participants to become more efficient at social thinking and understand social skills. Participants are taught necessary skills for monitoring their own behaviors, taking on another individual’s perspective, thinking flexibly and understanding emotions.

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking: teaches communication competency for children ages 14 and up

Social Detective Agency: offered for children ages 10-15;

The Superhero Academy: offered for children ages 5-12.

Curtain Call

A peer social group that aims to promote children’s expressive communication, regulation of emotions and social interactions with peers using theatre as the medium. Individuals with ASD have difficulty understanding others’ thoughts and feelings and then adjusting their actions accordingly, and acting requires individuals to learn to watch and listen to others for cues to figure out the person’s intentions. Curtain Call uses social thinking concepts from Michele Garcia Winners to develop a better awareness of others’ actions and expectations for their behaviors.

More info about our next Curtain Call session

Introduction to Social Thinking

The Autism Project offers a training program to assist professionals in teaching social understanding, instructed by knowledgeable Autism Project staff. Trainees will learn about using concrete vocabulary and developing different strategies to teach social cognition concepts. Project staff sets up and leads groups of students as a model with the gradual shifting of group facilitation to the classroom staff. At the end of the training, teachers and specialists will be able to initiate social thinking classes for other students.

More info on Introduction to Social Thinking training

Cognitive Learning Strategies class offered at Johnson & Wales University

Semester Credit Hours: 3 credits

Contact Hours: 25 classroom hours and 20 field experience hours

This course will encompass “promising practices” that teach skills needed for successful social interactions, including social thinking (Garcia-Winners, 2005), cognitive behavior therapy (Attwood, 2006), and social stories (Gray, 2000).

Students will acquire the ability to relate social cognitive deficits to challenging social behaviors and apply the principles of cognitive learning strategies to teach skills necessary for successful social interactions in a variety of settings.

More info on university courses offered on autism spectrum disorders

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