Raise Your Hands–Perfect For Kids Going to School.
Researching topics for this blog always brings me to new and exciting research. Although I must admit most of the new and exciting research has been developed over a period of several years.
This week I’m featuring yet another educator, Michelle Garcia Winner, who has developed a social skills training method which revolves around social thinking.
Winner’s website describes social thinking as: . . .what we do when we interact with people: we think about them. And how we think about people affects how we behave, which in turn affects how others respond to us, which in turn affects our own emotions.
She goes on to state that while for most people the process of acquiring social information and communication methods develops naturally from birth on, there are many people for whom “this process is anything but natural.” (from http://www.socialthinking.com/what-is-social-thinking).
Garcia-Winner differentiates social thinking strategies from social skills training. Workshops and seminars are available for both parents and professionals.
Social Thinking strategies teach individuals:
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How their own social minds work – why they and others react and respond the way they do;
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How their behaviors affect the way others perceive and respond to them;
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And how this affects their own emotions, responses to and relationships with others across different social contexts.
For individuals being taught or treated the objectives of these strategies include the ability to:
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Recognize that they and others have different perceptions and abilities to process social information;
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Navigate their social thinking, social interaction and social communication toward more rewarding outcomes;
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Learn to better adapt and respond to the people and situations around them.
This is an excellent website. Enjoy exploring this new world of social skills concepts!
Yours truly,
Margaret Jean.
Margaret Jean 