Social Skills Lesson Planning Template

Social Skills Lesson Planning Template

Case Studies

Elsa (K-5)

Elsa (she/her) is a 7-year-old female first-grade student living with her caregivers in Phillips, Wisconsin. She is the only child of two caregivers who have completed post-graduate education. Elsa is an intelligent and caring young girl with significant academic potential. In her spare time, Elsa enjoys spending time with her friends and participating in physical activities such as swimming, running, and skating. She enjoys participating in social events and is often invited to play dates and birthday parties.

There is an extended family history of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), mental health concerns, and academic excellence. While Elsa interacts well with peers her age, her parents note that she can be easily led and influenced by others. They also report that Elsa gets upset when she does not receive recognition or feels that she has been ignored. Her teacher notes that she sometimes acts ‘socially immature’ and often demonstrates attention-seeking behavior. Behavioral concerns like these (aggression, lying, arguments, and disruptive behavior) have been noted since Elsa participated in the preschool program at age 4. Her family obtained an ADHD diagnosis from their family doctor a year ago. Since late kindergarten, age 6, Elsa has received special education services under the disability category of Other Health Disability (OHD). Notably, she did not know her address or home phone number, could not print her surname, and recognized only a few pre-primer words.

Elsa describes difficulties with focusing and sitting still in class. She recognizes that she can ‘hyper focus’ on some activities of interest but often has difficulty sustaining her attention at school. Her parents and teacher indicate that Elsa is restless and often requires reminders to help her stay on task. She is described as “constantly running around” and struggling to listen and follow instructions. Elsa’s teacher indicates that she often blurts out answers and interrupts other students in the classroom. Elsa recognizes this tendency in herself but says she can’t stop despite her best intentions. Elsa has always had challenges falling asleep and sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night. When she wakes up, she has a difficult time getting back to sleep – sometimes staying awake for as long as an hour and a half.

Her father reports difficulties at home with following routines and remembering instructions. Her caregivers describe emotional reactivity and aggressive behaviors shown at home and school. Her teacher notes that Elsa is defiant towards listening to instructions but interacts well with her peers. She is easily frustrated and emotionally impulsive – Elsa has had several incidents of hitting, crying outbursts, and inappropriate behavior.

Recently, her teacher brought up conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) to help understand the functions of her behavior and design supports. This would add to the current supports listed in her IEP, including social skills instruction related to self-management.

Tokala (6-8)

Tokala (he/him) is a twelve-year-old sixth grader who attends a small rural middle school comprised mostly (90%) of students who identify as white and come from middle-class backgrounds. On a nearby reservation in Northern Wisconsin, Tokala lives with his biological father and his grandmother. His biological mother left when he was young and is no longer involved in Tokala’s life. He loves to play basketball and computer games and watch videos on his iPad. He also talks a lot about his life on the reservation and is proud about attending cultural events and gatherings with family.

Tokala is also a student with an Emotional or Behavioral Disability (EBD). His teachers perceive him as not caring about academics and sometimes coldly interacting with others. He says he wants to make friends at school yet shows aggression towards peers and adults (e.g., grabs, shoves, hits). This aggression has become dangerous as he sometimes kicks adults trying to comfort him and peers who are worried about him. This behavior has led to several days of suspension, and it is only November. His behavior has also led to him being bullied by some peers, and others are now avoiding him.

The behavior occurs more after the weekend or extended breaks, when he wants to do something someone else has or is doing, or when the activity is unstructured, such as gym class, lunch, assemblies, and before/after school in the hallways. Tokala’s father reports that the same behaviors happen at home after he has gained access to desired items or activities. He is then asked to transition to something else or put the item away. His father shared that he eventually “gives in to avoid conflict.” To support Tokala in developing tools to better deal with these situations, his special education case manager explicitly taught him strategies to help him resolve difficult social situations. For example, he was provided individual social skills instruction about how to (a) interact appropriately with his peers, (b) tell his teachers when he was frustrated, and (c) initiate self-imposed “breaks” rather than become violent.

Despite all of these supports, data on the frequency of his use of (and his success in using) the new strategies to resolve complex social situations in different school environments indicates he can utilize these skills 50% of the time. Based on formative assessment data, he is at grade level in reading but below grade level in writing and math. Nevertheless, he still receives D’s or F’s in all his courses except music, where he shares that he enjoys participating in many activities and songs connected to his indigenous background.

Juanita (K-5)

Juanita (she/her) is a charming but shy nine-year-old Latina child who lives with her parents and younger brother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her family relocated from New Mexico when Juanita was four years old. Spanish is the language used at home. Shortly after her fifth birthday, Juanita’s caregivers enrolled her in a general education kindergarten class nearby. The staff and students are predominantly white, and English is the only language used in the school. Juanita had several behavioral challenges in kindergarten. Her teacher reported that Juanita frequently had difficulty following directions and sometimes threw tantrums when she did not “get her way.” She also had problems getting along with her peers. Juanita did not like ” waiting for her turn” or “standing in line” with her class. Juanita’s mother reported that she displayed similar behaviors at home. For example, her caregivers were concerned that Juanita often “did not listen” to them. She often tried to “be the boss” with her brother at home and during family outings in the community.

Juanita’s problem behaviors continued and escalated in first grade. For example, she defied her teacher and refused to follow her instructions—loud verbal arguments led to physical altercations with her peers at lunch or recess. Given the increasing frequency and severity of these and other problem behaviors, Juanita was referred to the school’s Individual Education Program (IEP) team, assessed, and identified as a student with EBD.

At the beginning of second grade, Juanita’s principal, her teacher, and her caregivers decided to enroll Juanita in a unique program called First Steps, an evidence-based behavioral intervention program for young children developed by researchers at the University of Oregon. The intervention had school and home components. At school, Juanita’s second-grade teacher used a “token economy” program to reinforce her appropriate behavior positively. The teacher set clear behavioral expectations for Juanita’s behavior in the classroom, hallway, lunchroom, and playground. Juanita received “tokens” for appropriate behavior (e.g., waiting quietly in line) but lost tokens for misbehavior (e.g., talking out of turn or leaving her desk without permission). Juanita turned in tokens for special prizes. She could choose something fun for herself (e.g., extra library time) or the whole class (e.g., playing Simon Says or extra recess). She could also earn time with her moms (e.g., walking in the woods).

At home, a First Step interventionist visited Juanita’s home once a week for six weeks. The interventionist taught her mother to play short games to help Juanita succeed at school. Her moms liked the games; they even modified some of them so that they could be played with Juanita and her brother. They shared that they felt more empowered as caregivers. She felt the First Step activities offered structure and helped them learn how to interact with their children positively. Moreover, Juanita started to thrive in school, doing well both academically and socially.

However, toward the end of third grade, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Juanita’s school. She spent the final three months of her third-grade year sporadically attending online courses from her family’s kitchen table and simultaneously caring for her younger brother while her moms worked. She began to become withdrawn at home. Around the same time, her grandmother, who was close to her, came to live with them and became ill.

At the start of her fourth-grade year, she returned to in-person classes. Juanita’s caregivers attended school conferences that fall, and her teacher shared similar concerns. When her moms and teacher attempted to discuss the changes in her behavior, she walked away or said nothing was wrong. Her grades also began to suffer.

Nolan (K-5)

Nolan (he/him) is an outgoing white 9-year-old who is the youngest of four children and attends Northern Lights Elementary School in Wausau, Wisconsin. Nolan’s family moved there from Biloxi, Mississippi, just before birth to be closer to his paternal grandparents. The family is busy in the community, and Nolan is no exception. Sports and the Special Olympics are a big part of his life, as are meet-ups with his teammate and best buddy, Milo. In addition, his caregivers ensure he participates in other activities with his brother and sisters, including attending services at the local synagogue, which can sometimes be challenging as Nolan has Down syndrome. Within three weeks of his birth, Nolan started speech and language early intervention service thanks to a HelpMeGrow referral made by his pediatrician. This was delivered four times a month during in-home visits. He is currently served under the disability category of Intellectual Disabilities per his Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

In school, Nolan’s teachers report he seems to enjoy participating with his peers in learning activities, but he struggles with reading, writing, and math. Despite being in grade three, he reads at a first-grade level and has been unable to move beyond sight words. Cognitive needs impact his progress. At his last three-year re-evaluation meeting, his IQ was 65. Handwriting is also challenging, and he uses an adaptive keyboard for written assignments, which he loves. Nolan is also easily distracted and is supported with frequent prompts to help him stay on task. His father shared, “He can be silly, which we love about him, but that also makes the school day’s structure difficult for him.”

Nolan spends half the day in the general education third-grade classroom with 20 peers. This year, inclusion focuses on academics (e.g., science and social studies) and social development. He is learning that reading has a purpose and is eager to share what he knows with others. With the help of a paraprofessional, Nolan starts the morning with his peers and then goes to the special education classroom for 60 minutes of intensive reading and math instruction. He also receives previewing of content/background-building support in the special education classroom before participating in science and social studies lessons with his peers. A real strength is he can understand complex concepts if we present them in multiple ways and formats other than print. Every other week, he has a “Lunch Bunch” social skills group with the school counselor to strengthen peer relationships. Nolan also participates in adapted physical education and occupational and speech therapies to help improve his physical coordination, self-care, and communication.

Much of Nolan’s success depends on coordinated support from his caregivers and teachers. Nolan’s parents meet with his IEP manager and third-grade classroom teacher weekly via Zoom to stay on top of communication and expectations for his progress. Nolan’s mother reports these informal 20-minute meetings as a time to talk openly about his progress and better coordinate what he needs at school and how they can support his learning at home. Collaboration is a high priority and the key to Nolan’s success. Yet, in two years, Nolan’s caregivers worry about transitioning to middle and high school. Not only do they worry about his academic progress, but also heavy on their minds is what the future holds for him – employment, friendships, living, sexual maturation, and so on.

Faduma (9-12)

Faduma (FA-du-mah) is a 17-year-old high school student with intellectual disabilities. Faduma uses the pronouns she/her. Her name was given to her as it is a tradition in Somalia for first-born females. Faduma is an active and engaged student. She enjoys participating in school activities and has made many friends. On the weekends, she enjoys cooking with her large extended family, participating in cultural events, and doing her school work with the support of her tutor at the Minnesota Somali Community Center. Faduma’s teachers, parents, and IEP team are working together to help her achieve her goal of becoming a certified nurse assistant (CNA).

Faduma moved with her family in 2011 to Minneapolis, MN, after her family experienced the famine in Somalia that killed more than a quarter of a million people. They joined her grandparents in Minnesota, who fled Somalia like many others in the 1990s when the civil war broke out. Despite employment opportunities and community resources, things are not as simple as they seem. Two months before Faduma arrived in Minneapolis, six young Somalis from the area were arrested. Federal prosecutors said the men planned to sneak into Syria and join the ISIS terror group. Then a short time later, a Somali was shot dead after stabbing 10 people at a mall in St. Cloud, a city about 60 miles away from Minneapolis. These headlines are an outward sign that things may not be as simple as they seem for Faduma and her family. Radicalization and terrorism are real things that affect the community. Somali people in Minneapolis are very conscious of how people outside the community perceive them and are concerned about being unfairly portrayed as terrorists. The current political climate, including an executive order limiting travel for people from majority Muslim nations, including Somalia, worried Faduma. She’s heard her parents talk about friends and siblings being unable to come to America. And they can’t leave the country now because they are unsure if they’ll be able to return.

Faduma needs help understanding complex instructions and concepts and requires additional support and accommodations to participate in regular classroom activities. Social situations cause her anxiety; she is sometimes awkward and withdrawn. Her parents support their daughter and are actively involved in her education. They have expressed concerns about Faduma’s academic progress and have requested additional support from the school. Her teachers have also noticed that she struggles with reading comprehension, math, and writing skills.

Faduma’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team has recommended that she receive specialized instruction and support from a special education teacher. The special education teacher works with Faduma in small groups to provide individualized instruction that meets her unique learning needs. The special education teacher has also implemented various strategies to support Faduma’s learning. For example, the teacher uses visual aids, such as pictures, charts, and diagrams, to help her understand concepts better. The teacher also breaks down complex instructions into smaller, more manageable steps, which helps Faduma follow directions. Faduma’s IEP team has also recommended that she receive speech therapy to improve her communication skills. The speech therapist works with Faduma to develop her speech and language abilities and to help her better understand and express her thoughts and ideas. As part of her transition plan, Faduma will visit nearby Normandale Community College in the fall to explore their CNA program. Her parents worry Faduma will be unable to keep up with the academic demands of a CNA program. Recently they emailed her IEP manager asking about a meeting to discuss additional post-high school options for Faduma. When Faduma learned about this communication, she was furious with her parents.

Attributions

A portion of chapter one was adapted from Trauma Informed Behaviour Support: A Practical Guide to Developing Resilient Learners by Kay Ayre and Govind Krishnamoorthy, licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0.

A portion of chapters one and four was adapted from Understanding and Supporting Learners with Disabilities by Paula Lombardi, licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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