1. Social Skils in training level 1 Sint-Janshof

14. VISION 1) Distance There has to be kept a certain distance between the teacher and the pupil: - emotional - physical

15. VISION 2) Addressing Pupils may address the teachers by their first names but have to keep in mind the terms of address: - Miss An - Mister Jan --> extra guidance by some speech training or in another lesson (Pointing out that they have to speak with the use of two words.)

16. VISION 3) Cuddling The pupils are allowed to give their teachers a cuddle.

17. VISION 4) Kissing Pupils may give their teachers a kiss keeping in consideration the mental age. !! Teachers have to/ may reprimand the pupils when they give a teacher an inappropriate kiss.

19. VISION 6) Toilet use What is obvious for us, is not the case for our pupils... - They are obligated to close the door. - They are not obligated to lock the door. !! Sometimes individual agreement Ex.: Don’t lock the door: boy who starts to masturbate a lot....

20. VISION: 7) Puberty When becoming an ‘adult’  other rights and obligations. We keep in consideration that a teenager has the need of: - Gushing about idols, teachers - Being taken serious - Being able to ask questions, talking things over - Offering extra structure - Adapting activities

21. VISION 7) Puberty The pupils are in their puberty or about to get into this period. ==> GEVOLG: * physical changes * emotional changes Distinction is made enough between: difficult behavior < -- > puberty related behavior We help: We search for a reason , a cause for the behavior ==> we then also search for a solution.

24. VISION 8) Being in love 2) Worshiping teachers: We discuss this is in a realistic way and try to place this with the use of some humor but we do try always to keep distance . !! Trying to estimate the distance well, not allowed to punish... It is important that this is discussed during a classmeeting so that all who are involved deal with this in the same way.

26. cuddly couch TARGET: Our pupils are given the opportunity to act like people who are in love. PROCEDURE: During the break pupils can go the teachers and tell him/her that they wish to use the ‘cuddly couch’. They need to do this together. The cuddly couch is set up in such a way that we can observe the pupils and adjust their behavior when necessary. But also that they are given some privacy.

32. VISION 10) Sex education - Compulsory - Reserved --> exception is possible? - Any teacher - Mixed groups (girls and boys) - not individually. - Groups can be made up according to physical development. - Preference for cross-class groups. MATERIAL - Visual material (pics, slides, prints, drawings, film, worksheets) - Touchible material (fake genitals, contraceptives, sexual aids)

33. VISION 11) Procreation Everybody gets the same info about getting children: “ It has not happened yet that pupils of TL 1 got babies . It is important that we first learn to take care of ourselves. That is already hard enough.”

37. VISION 15) General code of conduct When will be worked around this? - No specific lessons - Integrated into other lessons but also into projects - The circle How? With what kind of material: Visualizations Step by step schemes Individual talks Group talks Examples of other s in practice Helping each other out Conduct rules such as: What is polite/impolite Table manners How do you have a conversation ... Some examples..

43. - How do I start a conversation? - Subjects suitable for a conversation. The Weather It is cold. Are you cold? It is warm. I am warm . What about you? It is raining today. There is a lot of wind. …

44. The weekend – my hobbies Visits I paid a visit at… … . came to visit me

45. music, film I watched a DVD. I listened to some music. I like …. What kind of music do you like?

46. Parties I went to this party of ….. Tell something about what you have done/seen/ experienced at the party Biking I went biking. with…. We biked to…. Musical I went to a musical……. Do you like musicals? What musicals have you already seen? Food and drinks We went out for dinner. I ate : …. I love to have.../ What do you like for food..

47. WII I played on the WII. The game … is cool. Do you have a WII? What kind of game do you like to play? Scouts I went to the scouts. We played a game. It was fun. Are you a member of the scouts?

50. Examples of material Example 5: Feelings . These cards can be used during conversations: - Group talks - Individual talks Talks can be about any kind of subject. Pupils are better by expressing their emotions with the aid of these cards. Several posibilities: Beta, Sclera,....

51. SCLERA

52. BETA

53. Not only icons! We use the icons next to a lot of other methods: Introducing a feeling is possible with: - Using a hand-puppet: Your puppet feels happy/sad/…. Pupils can see this puppet and his feelings - Listening to a story - Drawing faces - Dancing - Imitating a person (posture,…)

54. Examples of material Example 6: Emotion cards for each day (Fieldtrip)

56. 16) Examples during lessons: Helping each other out Lessons: gym - Helping each other out is very important. - The pupils have certain limitations and specific needs. - In most cases they can offer the help themselves at each other.

57. Helping out: gym - a) ‘Alternation system’ - b) Team-sports - c) Too difficult activities - d) Presentation

58. a) System of alternation - Most of the time by 2 in the system of alternation ==> pay attention to each other: * taking turns * doing tasks together ==> helping each other out * physical * understanding the task - Combinations can be very useful: * better + weaker-> there is alternation * better+ better-> fun! * weaker + weaker-> no frustration! Always different combinations! It depends – activity/task

59. b) Team sports - Working in team (teams of 2,3,4 or more persons): IN the team: - cooperation --> see alternation system --> sometimes teams work against each other, changes the group dynamics: * Not everyone has to be able to do everything. * Cooperation is the main target: how to get the best/fastest result in comparison with the other team. In between the teams: - competition - with a great number of pupils doing something ‘TOGETHER’.

60. c) Activities that are too hard If pupils can’t participate in a certain lesson or exercise ==> letting them help out others where there is need for extra aid. Ex: Holding out a hand when pupils are doing balance exercises.

61. d) Presentations Presentations/ Speaking up in front of a group/ Explaining something: Sometimes may pupils explain a task or a game to others when it already has been played a few times before.

62. Exemples General subjects : Social skills? supporting/stimulate verbal communication : - Question cards : these cards can be used in class by pupils who can’t/dare to ask a question for help. - Visualization in order to be able to talk about emotions/ feelings /problem situations. - Role play offered step by step in order to be able to have certain conversations. Ex.: how do you have a telephone conversation.

64. Circle - Social aspect! - The accent is on values and living together . - The ritual aspect of these activities offers an answer on the needs of the pupil with Autism. (Also other pupils benefit of starting out the day in a very structured and rather calm way.) - During the circle pupils get the chance to report important events like the death of a famous person, an accident they witnessed , … but for sure also the happy messages like a birth in the family, winning a medal,.. - Also teachers will share important family news and events with the pupils. - When there is someone having a birthday then the pupils will sing ‘Happy Birthday’ for this person. ==> By these means we try to invite the pupils to sympathize with their classmates

65. Circle In smaller class groups (4 to 7 pupils) often will take place a specific circle. EX: The learning & living group (the weakest group) will repeat daily the circle and every day there will be a ‘ritual’ repeated : They have to give each other a hand and say good morning . (physical contact!)

66. Examples: Teatime Some pupils have at the end of the day 30 minutes tea time. This drinking tea/coffee together around a table with a biscuit/a piece of fruit. - It stimulates the social contacts and the interaction with other pupils. - Courtesy during meals is important (asking politely and receiving of food and/or drinks, waiting till everybody is served,…). - Extra tasks can be trained as well (ex: serving others by passing on or offering the sugar or the milk)..

67. Example: Shopping Each older class group will go shopping once a weak. Next to practical math and practicing language skills is this the perfect practice moment for social skills in a realistic, practical and daily context . It stimulates the pupil’s integration : They learn to adapt themselves socially in out of school traffic- and shopping situations.

68. Example ‘Snoezelen’ (combination of snuffling and dozing) Next to known active and passive ‘snoezelen’, also: - Social manners and relations - Self image and self experience: - who am I? - how do I live and work with others? ... ‘ Sherbone’-method is used frequently in these cases. = By means of physical tasks they are confronted with themselves and the others.) = Difference with motorical therapy: emphasis on developing self-esteem

69. Extra information: Sherborne therapy? TARGET: Expanding the awareness of their own motion capabilities, inside themselves (in their own body) as towards others. Being aware of their own movements --> learning to control their own movements --> balance --> exploring of the surrounding& and better communication! --> greater self esteem & belief in own possibilities. In Sherborne-therapy there are 3 kind of relationships: - the‘ together-relations' (with the therapist) - the ‘against-each other-relations' (the power of their own body, - the ‘together-relations’ (adjusting themselves in order to cooperate with others). Difference with motorical therapy emphasis on developing self-esteem

70. Example: Ict-lessen Internet, hotmail, gmail, facebook.... Social skills: MORE then speaking face-to-face. ==> Now pupils are also during the lessons introduced into the virtual world of the internet. They learn: - to set up an account - sending mails to others and pupils - reading mails - setting up a facebook account - “checking” facebook - chatten by the use of WAI-NOT

71. What is WAI-NOT? - Making the internet accessible for persons with a severe mental retardation. - An adapted website. - promoting ICT-lessons and the use of en internet in the training of people with mental limitations. TARGET: Closing the digital gap in order to stimulate the social integration. HOW: - Safe and closed chat-rooms - chatting and mails writing/reading, following the current events,playing games.. - support: beta, sclera en speech support (depending on your indiv. profile) DEMO : http://www.wai-not.org/?q =nl/node/3

72. SUMMARY In TL1 we start out from the vision The rules and regulations are variously applied - No specific subjects , sometimes specific lessons - Constantly * examples of each other/teachers * awarding systems * visualisations * ...

74. Thank You!