SOCIAL SKILLS & THE TRANSITION TO EMPLOYMENT

Transcription

1 SOCIAL SKILLS & THE TRANSITION TO EMPLOYMENT KIMBERLEE FLATT, LPC, BCBA CHRISTINA MARTIN, CCC-SLP, BCBA STATS AND FACTS 10%- 50% have failed to find paid employment Lower wages Work less than 24 hrs/week Less likely to receive employment benefits Less likely to improve with time alone

2 HOW SOCIAL SKILLS IMPACT EMPLOYMENT? Interviewing The ability to perform job duties other duties as required Down Time Soft Skills INTERVIEWING

3 THE ABILITY TO PERFORM JOB DUTIES OTHER DUTIES AS REQUIRED DOWN TIME

4 SOFT SKILLS SOFT SKILLS Smiling Greetings Accepting responsibility Being polite Personal space (touching others- hugs, shaking hands) Wrapping up small talk (level of interest) Recognizing a need Engage When to help (what if they re doing it wrong) Body language Responding to sarcasm Tone of voice Eye contact Too much information

5 SOCIAL SKILLS Asking for help Names Sharing ideas Helping others Communicating clearly Following directions Taking turns Greetings Manners Humor Initiating conversation INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS Facial Expressions Social Cues Expressing Emotions Inflexibility Cognitive Abilities Independence

6 SOCIAL COMPETENCE [S]ocial [competence] means one is able to adapt an ever-changing landscape that takes into consideration the environment, the people in it, the thoughts, beliefs and needs of the individual and others who share the environment-whether or not they are in direct communication-as well as individual and collective history of knowledge and experience. (Winner, 2002) SOCIAL COMPETENCE Know the rules Reading cues Reacting to others emotions Communication with different groups

7 ASSESSMENT (Lerman, et al., 2017) BEHAVIORS Confirming Statements Asking for Help Asking for missing or more materials Responding to corrective feedback Notifying of task completion Inappropriate Behavior On-Task CONDITIONS Clear Instructions Vague Instructions Missing Materials Task Not in Repertoire Multiple Step Instructions Supervisor Presence Time Pressure ACTIVITY Your alarm clock doesn t go off and you wake up 30 minutes late. You always eat oatmeal with bacon for breakfast and take a 20 minute shower. At this rate, you will definitely be late for work. You just started this job last week and you don t want to be late. Solution 1: Pro Con Solution 2: Pro Con Solution 3: Pro Con

8 BEHAVIOR SKILLS TRAINING Instructions Modeling Rehearsal Feedback RESOURCES AFIRM Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTAC), Autism Speaks

9 REFERENCES Dudley, C., Nicholas, D.B., & Zwicker, J.D., 2015, What do we know about improving employment outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, The School of Public Policy, 32, Flatt, Kimberlee, Social skills towards employability, Council for Exceptional Children, The Bulletin, 25, 2-4. *Lerman, D.C., White, B., & Laudont, C., (2017). A clinic-based assessment for evaluating job-related social skills in adolescents and adults with autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10, Nelson, A.L, & Wadsworth, S. H., 2013, The importance of social skills training for job retention. Advancing Employment Connecting People, 1-2. Nord, D. K., Stancliffe, R. J., Nye-Lengerman, K., & Hewitt, A. S. (2016). Employment in the com-munity for people with and without autism: a comparative analysis. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders,24, OCALI, (2011), Social Competence Series: Overview, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence