School District 28, Quesnel

Board Authority Authorized Courses

Course Name: Principles of Social Interaction

District Name: Quesnel

District Number: #28

Originally Developed by: Gail Adams, Wendy Forsythe, Karen Fyles, Sue MacDonald

Date Originally Developed: February 22, 2005

Previously Revised: April, 2006; October, 2007; December, 2008; March, 2010

Redeveloped March 4, 2011 by: Gail Adams, Tania Blak, Lynne Dunn, Sue MacDonald, Judy Sewell, Crystal Stewart

School Name: Correlieu Secondary School

Quesnel Junior School

Principal’s Names: Mr. Mike Adams

Mr. Cyril Tobin

Board/Authority Approval Date:

Board/Authority Signature:

Grade Level of Course: Grade 10-12

Number of Course Credits: 4

Number of Hours of Instruction: 120 hours

Prerequisite(s): Referral by Resource Teacher, Counsellor, or School Based Team

Special Training, Facilities or Equipment Required:

o Resource Teachers and Support Staff with specialised training in the area of ASD and other developmental
disabilities
o Digital camera with video capacity
o TV with VCR/DVD
o Laptop/PC with Projector
o Smartboard
o Internet access (high speed and wireless preferred)
o Multimedia and Graphics Software (Quick Time Pro, Windows Movie Maker, VLC Media Player, Boardmaker)

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School District 28, Quesnel
Board Authority Authorized Courses

Course Synopsis:
Principles of Social Interaction (PSI) addresses skills in the areas of social interaction, communication, self determination,
self awareness, self advocacy, emotional functioning, behaviour, and conflict resolution.

Rationale:
The purpose of Principles of Social Interaction is to provide direct, specific instruction to develop skills not addressed in
other junior and high school courses in order to meet the needs of students with developmental disabilities.

This course provides the opportunity for students with deficits in the areas identified above to develop their skills in a safe,
supportive environment with some of their peers.

Organizational Structure:
Unit/Topic Title Time
1 Self Determination, Self Awareness and Self Advocacy 30 hours

2 Emotional Functioning, Behaviour and Conflict Resolution 30 hours

3 Social Interactions and Communication 60 hours

Total Hours 120 hours

Unit/Topic/Module Descriptions:

Unit 1: Self Determination, Self Awareness and Self Advocacy

The student will:

recognize and explore his/her own strengths and talents, interests, likes and dislikes

learn about the key traits, or characteristics, of individuals with his/her developmental disability

learn how his/her developmental disability affects the way he/she learns

learn how his/her developmental disability can impact the sensory system and the way he/she
experiences the environment

share information about his/her disability and needs with others

articulate to others what he/she needs in different settings

participate in planning his/her own educational program and post secondary opportunities

be able to organize leisure time to accommodate his/her own needs, the needs of others and time
constraints

develop awareness of his/her own meta-cognitive processes

develop strategies for the initiation and completion of tasks or projects

develop strategies for problem solving and generating alternatives

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School District 28, Quesnel
Board Authority Authorized Courses

Unit 2: Emotional Functioning, Behaviour, and Conflict Resolution

The student will:

identify his/her own levels of anger, anxiety and/or stress

apply strategies to manage anger, anxiety and/or stress (e.g., relaxation, self-monitoring)

recognize and acknowledge the causes of his/her own anger, anxiety and/or stress

recognize that his/her emotional response should match the magnitude of the problem

recognize that in certain environments a compressed emotional reaction is expected

identify healthy emotional outlets outside of the school or work environment

learn to compromise during disagreements with others

demonstrate flexible thinking in response to change

express how he/she is feeling either verbally or in written form

learn to identify, discuss and resolve a problem, and name those who can help if needed

learn to identify his/her own role in the development and resolution of problems

learn how to respond to a bullying attempt, including cyberbullying

learn how to report a bullying attempt, including cyberbullying

learn to recognize when his/her own behaviour could be interpreted as bullying, including
cyberbullying

Unit 3: Social Interactions and Communication

Nonverbal Communication
The student will:

recognize complex emotions in others and self (e.g., frustrated, overwhelmed, embarrassed)

interpret the facial expressions of others (e.g., level of interest, boredom, disbelief)

interpret the body language of others (e.g., friendly, open, closed, aggressive)

interpret the tone of voice of others (e.g., sarcasm, anger, excitement)

maintain appropriate personal space when interacting with others

understand the different ways we use our eyes to think, interpret social contexts and read the
environment (e.g., to show interest in others, to know when it is our turn to speak, to gather
information)

predict what other people are looking at and thinking about based on his/her own observations

demonstrate being part of a group through his/her own body language

demonstrate what it means to be mentally or cognitively part of a group

demonstrate the concept of active listening (i.e., listening using the ears, eyes, brain, mouth,
body posture and orientation)

Social Communication
The student will:

learn to make introductions

introduce self to others

give and receive compliments

ask questions to request information about a person

ask questions to request information about a topic
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School District 28, Quesnel
Board Authority Authorized Courses

ask for assistance with tasks

(Social Communication continued)

recognize and understand the meaning of peer jargon

initiate an interaction or conversation with others

appropriately join a conversation between two or more people

respond to open ended questions of others with some detail

maintain interactions and conversations (e.g., turn taking, talking on topic, topic transitions,
interjections)

acknowledge and converse about the interests of others

change the topic of conversation to fit the interests of others

speak using an appropriate tone of voice

appropriately ask others to change their behaviour

read cues to terminate a conversation

end a conversation appropriately

Social Cognition
The student will:

express or demonstrate sympathy for others

empathize with and show insight into the feelings of others

deduce the intentions, motives, and desires of others in various contexts, including the digital
world

consider multiple points of view and acknowledge the opinions of others

understand the difference between literal versus figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors,
irony, sarcasm)

understand the jokes or humour of others

learn to show interest in what others find interesting, despite his/her own limited interest

recognize the impact of his/her own facial expression, body language and tone of voice on others

use appropriate facial expression, body language and tone of voice based on the setting or
context

learn how to fix a social blunder or faux pas

distinguish appropriate topics, activities and places for private versus public communications

adjust language to varying social situations (i.e., social register)

understand that there are different social norms, or behaviours, expected for different social
settings (i.e., social expectations are contextual)

understand that she/she can have a positive or negative impact on the perception others have of
him/her

understand that the way he/she is perceived by others is based on a collection of events stored in
that person’s memory

understand the link between behaviour, emotions, thoughts and the environment

modify his/her own behaviour based on the reactions of others

modify his/her own behaviour to keep others thinking about him/her in the way he/she would
like

understand the difference between an acquaintance and a friend in different contexts (e.g.,
school, neighbourhood, community, Facebook, MSN, Twitter, My Space)

understand the development and impact of his/her digital footprint

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School District 28, Quesnel
Board Authority Authorized Courses

Instructional Components (Strategies)

Direct instruction

Brainstorming

Group work

Discussion

Analysis of commercial film and video works

Role-play

Charades

Teacher and peer modelling

Video modelling

Video self-modelling

Social Stories™

Fiction (picture books, novels, comics)

Games

Comic Strip Conversations™

Graphic organizers

Student handouts

Interviews

Application:

School

Home

Community

Workplace

Assessment Component – Formative & Summative:

Progress towards IEP goals, as reflected through the following methods:

Data collection (e.g., tracking sheets)

Self-evaluation

Peer evaluation

Portfolio (dependent on student learning style and ability)

Active involvement

Course activities (e.g., anger thermometer)

Group check-in

Rubrics (created collaboratively between students and teacher)

PSI Learning Outcomes Rating Scale (pre and post)

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School District 28, Quesnel
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Learning Resources:

Attwood, T. (2004). Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety.

Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons.

Attwood, T. (2004). Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anger.
Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons.

Baker, Jed. (2005). Preparing for Life. Texas: Future Horizons.

Baker, J. (2006). The Socials Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond. Texas: Future
Horizons.

Be Cool Series, Video Modelling resource from James Stanfield Company, Inc. Santa Barbara,
California.

Bellini, S. (2006). Building Social Relationships: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Social
Interaction Skills to Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other
Social Difficulties. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism Asperger’s Publishing Company
(AAPC).

Dunn Buron, K. (2007). A “5” Could Make Me Lose Control! Shawnee Mission, Kansas:
Autism Asperger’s Publishing Company (AAPC).

Dunn Buron, K. (2007). A “5” Is Against the Law. Shawnee Mission, Kansas: Autism
Asperger’s Publishing Company (AAPC).

Dunn Buron, K. & Curtis, M. (2003). The Incredible 5 Point Scale. Shawnee Mission, Kansas:
Autism Asperger’s Publishing Company (AAPC).

Dunn Buron, K. (2009) The Social Times. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing
Company.

Faherty, C. (2000). Asperger’s…What Does it Mean to Me? Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.

Freeman, S. (1996). Teach Me Language. Langley, British Columbia: SKF Books.

“Friendzee” and other Social Skills Games.

Gibbs, J. (1987). Tribes: A Process for Social Development and Cooperative Learning. Santa
Rosa, California: Center Source Publications.

Goldstein, A. P. & McGinnis, Ellen. 1997. Skillstreaming the Adolescent, Student Manual.
Illinois: Research Press.

Gray, C. (2003). Gray’s Guide to Bullying. Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons.

Gray, C. (1994). The New Social Story Book. Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons.

Gray, C. (1994). Comic Strip Conversations. Arlington, Texas: Future Horizons.

Harrison, P. & Oakland, T. (2003). Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Second Edition. San
Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

Huggins, P., Moen, L. & Wood-Manion, D. (1993). Teaching Friendship Skills. Longmont,
Colorado: Sopris West.

Kelly, A. (1996). Talkabout. Brackley, United Kingdom: Speechmark Publishing.

Kelly, A. (2003). Talk About Activities. Brackley, United Kingdom: Speechmark Publishing.

Madrigal, S. & Winner, M. (2008). Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum. San
Jose, California: Think Social Publishing.

McAfee, J. (2002). Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger’s
Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, and Related Disorders. Arlington, Texas: Future
Horizons.

Mannix, D. (1998). Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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School District 28, Quesnel
Board Authority Authorized Courses

(Learning Resources continued)

Mannix, D. (1987). Oral Language Activities for Special Children. West Nyack, N.Y. Center for
Applied Research in Education.

Ministry of Education (2001). Focus on Harassment & Intimidation: Responding to Bullying in
Secondary School Communities. Retrieved from
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/docs/fob_sec.pdf

McConnell, N. & LoGuidice, C. (1998). That’s Life! Social Language. East Moline, IL:
LinguiSystems.

Model Me Kids Video Series: Conversation Cues, Confidence, Tips and Tricks, Tone of Voice,
Facial Expressions.

Myles, B. S., Trautman, M. L., and Schelvan, R. L. (2004). The Hidden Curriculum. Kansas:
Autism Asperger Publishing.

POPARD (n.d. – draft copy). Planning and Support for Students with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. Delta, BC: POPARD.

Quill, K. A. (2001). Do-Watch-Listen-Say. Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Twatchman-Cullen, D. (2000). How to Be a Parapro. Higganum, CT: Starfish Specialty Press.

Walker, H.M., McConnell, S., Holmes, D., Todis, B., Walker, J., & Golden, N. (1983). The
Walker Social Skills Curriculum: The Accepts Program. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Winner, M. G. (2000). Inside Out: What Makes a Person with Social Cognitive Deficits Tick?
San Jose, California: Think Social Publishing.

Winner, M. G. (2005). Strategies for Organization: Preparing for Homework and the Real
World. Kentwood, MI. The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding.

Winner, M. G. (2002). Thinking About You, Thinking About Me. San Jose, California: Think
Social Publishing.

Winner, M. G. (2005). Think Social: A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students. San
Jose, California: Think Social Publishing.

Winner, M. G. (2005). Worksheets for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills. San Jose,
California: Think Social Publishing.

Winner, M.G. & Crooke, P. (2008). You are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to
Kids. San Jose, California: Think Social Publishing.

Winner, M.G. & Crooke, P. (2009). Socially Curious and Curiously Social. San Jose, California:
Think Social Publishing.

Wormeli, C., Robinson, G., & McKee, W. (2010). SAASI-HFS. Delta. BC: POPARD Press.

Web Resources:

http://www.actcommunity.net/

http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/as/asteachersites.html

http://animoto.com/intro/animoto?gclid=CNvDvdXJuqcCFQkCbAodrUDfBA

http://www.autismoutreach.ca/

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/

http://www.quesnelautism.com/Default.aspx?PageID=1

http://web.uvic.ca/~letsface/letsfaceit/index.php

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School District 28, Quesnel
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Principles of Social Interaction

Referral Form

Date: _______________________________

Student:_____________________________

Check items below which describe the student’s suitability for enrolling in this course.

Autism Spectrum Disorder ______

Non Verbal Learning Disability ______

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ______

Other Developmental Disability ______

Impairment in Social Skills ______

Student is also enrolled in the following programs:

 Peer Tutoring (BAA)

 Life Skills (BAA)
 Planning & Career Training (BAA)
 Essentials of English (BAA)

Referred by: __________________________

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